I Run And Now I Run For Boston

Since I pride on being able to call myself a runner, and running is the ONLY thing that I will take time and do for myself, the events at the Boston Marathon have really affected me.

I know that terrible things happen in the world, and I am always saddened and trouble by heinous acts that happen on a daily basis (so much I rarely watch the news,) but this one really got to me.

Since I have run a number of race events, my last half marathon was two weeks ago, I felt sheer horror when I saw what happened at the Boston Marathon. I had been watching the race online since it started. I watched the men’s, women’s and push winners cross the finish line. I asked my hubby if he thought Boston was a realistic goal for me. I dreamed.

And then the bombings occurred. I immediately knew what it felt like to run in a race knowing that your loved ones were waiting at the finish line. I couldn’t imagine being in the situation. My heart broke and my stomach turned over.

After some time, I had to turn the television off.

I am going to cut to the good part. And there is one. During times that seem to be the very darkest, humans always pull together to help part the clouds and let the sunshine in. So many events popped up via social media to honor, to unite, and to take a stand. I wanted to do them all.

I came across a movement called Run For Boston. It was simple, and I liked that. There were three things to do. First, run. Second, wear blue or yellow on your run. Third, make a Run For Boston sign with the name of your city on it and upload it to the Facebook page. Easy peasy.

Runners for Boston - Long Beach, CA

On Wednesday night, a group gathered at a local park. Some were part of my Galloway running group. Others just wanted to Run For Boston. We are now all friends. We had our strollers, our dogs, and the kids. It was a family affair.

We walked and ran for Boston along with thousands across the country.  We put Long Beach, CA on the map for Run For Boston.

I don’t know why I am always surprised at the compassion and love of others. I was tickled that strangers chose to come out on their own to take a run in honor of the Boston Marathon Bombings. We even had people at the park thank us for doing what we are doing.

Most importantly, our kids got to see the good that can come out of people. With the terrible events monopolizing the news, it is important that they know that love does prevail, as does compassion and strength.

There were other groups that came together this week for the same reasons. Some running groups gathered hundreds while some runners grabbed their neighbor. But to me, numbers don’t matter because in this event, we are all united for Boston.

Tis the Season

Four weeks ago I made the decision to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by running the Tinker Bell Half Marathon with Team in Training.  The decision was not an easy one but was prompted when a close friend, Adam, of our was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the early ago of 29.

Originally, I had planned on running the 5K event on the last weekend in January.  When I received news of the diagnosis, it immediately hit home, not only did I think of Adam as a brother, but having a very close relationship to my own brother, I could only imagine the impact it was having on his family.  Adam has just completed his second of six to eight chemo treatments this past week and remains in great spirits.

I am a mom, I work two jobs, and lately, I have had the majoirty of my days not end until 7 p.m. at night.  Was I crazy for trying to take on fundraising and training for a marathon in addition to all of this? After a long discussion with the hubby, we knew it was the right thing to do.  I showed up to sign-up on the very first day of training, almost a month after the rest of the participants.

The support that I have received in the past month has been amazing. People have been overly generous, and some that have supported me were a delightful surprise.  It has made me proud to be surrounded by so many caring people that are willing to step in for a wonderful cause. As I make small sacrifices to fit in my training (getting up before 5 a.m., being away from Stella even more than I already am) I know that this is truly a part of giving back and others would do the same for me.  This year, the holiday sprirt is in full force.

For more information and progress on my training and Adam's condition, please click here.



Me, Adam, and his sister Heather at an ugly Xmas sweater party
over the weekend.



A Walk from California to Maine - A Few Written Words

I have been sharing Arthur's story over the past few weeks; a 19 year old who has recently lost his only living parent to breast cancer. To raise awareness and funds for the disease that unexpectedly took his mother, Arthur is continuing to prepare for his walk from California to Maine. Along with being a talented photographer, Arthur also enjoys writing and participates in a groups known as Writers Block to share his words on paper.

Here is an excerpt from one of Arthur's pieces that he wrote about the loss of his mother Janet.

I try my best to keep my composure,

because everyone knows the devil can smell fear,

we take the cold steel elevator the only direction it goes,

all the way down,

to the darkest pit of my imagination,

with a golden fiddle, and tune like a riddle,

the devil leads me to what seems like the only room,

and politely opens the door,

and right there in bed instead of my soul, I see my mother's

lifeless and cold, I know this not to be her but an illusion,

my mother has passed I know this to be true,

but what I see before me is a cruel trick of death,

I can stand it no longer,

I break into tears and scream in her ears,

this is not fair,

just when I am at my lowest point,

I see a glint of golden light shining from a cross,

an older woman from the east,

an angel in scrubs comes to my side,

and tells me I haven't lost her at all,

she is inside my heart she sings,

although this does not heal me completely,

the angel has made quite a point,

she holds me close, and strokes my hair,

for what seems like another eternity,

for a moment the anguish of hell subsides into silence,

and I hear the devil shrink, shrivel, and cease,

I find myself alone in the hollow halls,

alone with my thoughts,

I make my through the echoing labryinth,

and somehow I find my way home.

For those of you who would like to help or learn more about Arthur here are some of his sites:
City List of Walk
Walk donation page
Breast Cancer Awareness donation pages

A Walk from California to Maine - Arthur's Interview

There were so many things going through my mind when I heard about Arthur and his story.  As a first time mom, I really was curious about how the loss of his mother, his only parent, had affected him.  I wondered about how her imprint on him, impacted the walk that he was now planning.  So I sat down with Arthur one afternoon and asked him some questions.

 

Tell me about your background.

I am originally from Des Moines, IA but moved to Omaha, NE when my father passed away in 1994. I lived there until fifth grade, then moved to my grandparent's house in Long Beach, CA with my mother. I attended Elwood P. Cubberley K-8 (where I had Arthur as a student) then Robert A. Millikan High School, the same schools that both my mother and aunts attended. I started photography in middle school, and did semi-professional work in high school. Due to everything that went on with my mom's illness, I had to drop out of my first semester of college. Now I am working as a freelance photographer/videographer to try to make ends meet.

What was your mother like?My mom was a very genuine and caring person. Thinking of others before herself was a constant. She was multi-faceted, and capable. Very Intelligent and creative, not only a computer whiz but a skilled artist with multiple mediums. She was also loving, not just of me, but of life and all that it contains. She loved anything Star Trek, and was quite the music aficionado as well. Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, and David Bowie were among her favorites.

What did your mom's illness teach you that you would share with others?
Based on my experience with my mother and breast cancer, I would say it is helpful to be knowledgeable and really open. A positive attitude and sense of humor is key, but so is a readiness for the worst. This preparedness can be the most important factor in helping your loved ones. If you are prepared for the worst, then you will be able to think clearly and be able to help instead of being a bystander. Cancer is a very threatening and the very word has become quite a foreboding term. It is important to be very supportive and loving, everyone likes to be in a happy mood and this is no different when you become ill. I recommend regular doctor visits and self-exams, because knowing before it develops into something harder to manage is vital.

How has it been for you on your own since your mother passed?
Being on my own at 19 has definitely defined my sense of self and made even more aware to the world around me. My whole life, I have had to be a little more mature and independent for my age due to the fact that besides my mother, there was no one else to take care of us. I run not only my own business, but a household and my own finances. It is an everyday challenge, but thanks to the guidance and support of my mother and those around me, I am confident in myself and my situation.

What would your mom say about this breast cancer awareness walk that you are planning?She would be very proud, I actually talked with her on multiple occasions about a trip like this, at the time there was no motive other than for adventure and my portfolio. She said, “If I was ten years younger, I would go with you.” She would advise me on every danger known to mankind and make sure I called everyday or at least every few days.

What do you hope to achieve personally from this walk?Personally I hope to achieve a better understanding of myself and this world. I want to have an extensive knowledge of this entire country and those who are inhabiting it. I want to make a lot of new friends/connections and have one of the largest personal archives of the world.

What do you hope to achieve for the cause of breast cancer?I hope to raise awareness throughout the nation, the numbers will hopefully be larger than I can imagine. I will personally be meeting with thousands of people, and in this intimate setting I will do my best to spread awareness and a message of hope/optimism. I wish to raise a minimum of $50,000 to help start my organization and to make a large donation that will help save lives.

To learn more about Arthur Hitchcock and how you can support his walk for breast cancer, from California to Maine, here are some other published articles and his web sites.   Next week, Arthur will share more about his mother Janet, from his eyes.
A Modern Day Terry Fox
A Boy and His Walking Shoes
City List of Walk

Walk donation page
Breast Cancer Awareness donation page

A Walk from California to Maine

Baby Arthur and his mom

 I was watching the news the other night (a rare occasion for me) and was depressed at the entire goings on. I wondered if the stories I was watching were the best that was out there and then flipped the channel back to some dumb reality show. I mean, it wasn’t much different than watching the news.                 
                                 

I have a story that I would like to share and teased about a few weeks ago. I have been a Health teacher for 11 years now and have spent many days wondering if or how I could truly make a difference in my students’ lives. Through a series of events, I reconnected with an old student named Arthur Hitchcock. I know him as Artie, and have quickly reminded myself that he is no longer in middle school and that I need to refer to him as Arthur now that he is 19 years old. I am trying my hardest not to ruffle his hair too.

Janet at The Great Wall in 2005

Arthur shared with me what he had been doing in the past seven years and the story shook me to my core. I found myself listening to Arthur speak and experiencing emotions as person, a teacher, and (quite a new one) a mother. Arthur has recently become an orphan. His father, a professional photographer, passed away when Arthur was only two years old from a heart condition. In October, he unexpectedly lost his mother, Janet, to stage 4 breast cancer. He is now completely on his own, and relies on his photography to pay the bills.

In the midst of all this, Arthur is planning a trip, a very long trip that most would do in a car. Instead, in a grass roots movement, Arthur will be relying only on his feet during his 6,400 mile trip, across the United States. May 11, 2011 will mark a life changing day for Arthur, and for breast cancer awareness. His walk, from Long Beach, California to Augusta, Maine, will be to raise money and awareness for the fatal disease that took his mother. Along the way he will leave his footprints and his message while he soul searches. On his back, Arthur will carry everything he needs and over his shoulder, will be his trusty camera, capturing it all. He plans on sleeping where his head may fall and his only support will be his best friend, Anthony Felix (also a former student), who will meet up with him at prearranged spots every 100 miles.

As a mother, I worry about simple things like Arthur being hungry or not having a warm enough jacket. I have promised to help him gather funds and resources for both his cause (breast cancer awareness) and his walk. His list was simple; all he wanted was a tent, a sleeping bag, and a GPS system. Because I am a haute mom, I added to it.

I am asking all of you moms to help me help Arthur, who estimates he will be gone one year. I need all the mom power with me so that we can be sure that Arthur can leave on this journey, with nothing to worry about but the weather. The cause is one that touches all of us and, as a mother, if I were no longer able to be there for Stella, I would pray that another woman would open up her motherly wings and embrace her.

The only thing that I ask is that you share this story with your family, friends, on your blogs, and any other means of communication. I am also including Arthur’s websites for any one who would like more information on his walk, his story, see his photography, or leave a breast cancer donation to help Arthur reach his $50,000 goal. If you can think of other ways to help, please let me know. All comments and well wishes you post on Haute Mom will be shared with Arthur as well.

Additionally, to follow Arthur’s suit, I am going to not only to keep you all updated with his whereabouts but am also going to dedicate one post a month to breast cancer awareness. This campaign will begin with a tribute to Arthur’s mother and then spotlight one breast cancer survivor until Arthur returns. If any of you haute moms are breast cancers survivors or know of someone who deserves the spotlight, please let me know.

Stay tuned for an interview that I had with Arthur as he opens up and shares more about his life, one step at a time. Each week I will share more about Arthur and his journey so be sure to check back in on him.

City List of Walk
Walk donation page
Breast Cancer Awareness donation page

Thrifty Thursday

This week's Thrifty Thursday features a FABULOUS shopping site! The site Uptown Liz is another site that gives back to a good cause. Not just one good cause, but almost 30 great causes! The reason for its existence is even more special than the site itself.


Ramona Russell

The founder, Ramona Russell is a savvy, haute business woman with a mission. She lost her sister, Liz, to breast cancer in 2006. It was a harsh and painful loss for many reasons, one being that Liz was only 28 years old. Ramona used her talents to start a company in her sister Liz's memory that promotes products from companies whose proceeds directly give back to charitable organizations. She launched Uptown Liz on what would be her sister's 30th birthday, July 17, 2007. (The fact that Liz and i share the same birthdate and I was only born one year before her has made me very reflective.)

Uptown Liz supports almost 30 causes ranging from animal rights, women's health, children's rights, and of course, breast cacncer. You can shop by cause or by product and there is something for everyone. The site sells jewelry, bags, infant clothes, pet products, and even shoes! I found a darling pacifier clip for Stella and dontaed 10% of the amount to the American Cancer Society by purchasing it! 

Pacifier Clip

Be sure to stop by Uptown Liz the next time you need a special gift or the next time you just want to shop, like all us haute moms do!



And the Stars Align...

You know those moments where you are having a tough day and you wonder, "Why am I here?  What is my role in the grand scheme of things?"  I am sure you do, because we all have those moments.  As a teacher I have had many of those.  Correct me if I am wrong, but most teachers go into the profession for one of two reasons.  They either love kids or they want to make a difference in people's lives and being a doctor would just take too darn long.  Kidding about the doctor thing...sort of.  I knew that I wanted to make a difference with students and directly impact their immediate lives which is why I became a health teacher.  Even still, on tough days, I would wonder if I was truly making a difference.

I had a very interesting thing happen to me yesterday.  I can't go into too many details right now but it was the kind of thing that makes you look up at the sky ad say, "I understand now. This is my time to make a difference."  I apologize for the teaser but I want to make sure I have all the facts together so that I can really share this story in all its craziness. I can say that I got wind of a story about a young man who has gone through many hardships including the loss of both his parents.  He, as a friend put it, is a "modern day philanthropist."  He is a poet, a photographer, and a visionary.  This young man is about to partake on an amazing journey and I wanted to help before I even knew who he was.  Yesterday when I was told his name, I learned that he was one of my past students.  I spoke to him last night for the first time in almost seven years and I am committed to using all of my resources to help him.  That includes all you haute moms out there so get ready! I just had to write about this and share because my mind is still spinning from how the universe works sometimes.  Stand by haute moms...the best is yet to come and I hope you will all be a part of it.