Today’s Team in Training run is dedicated to Maria and her Mom.

It’s not easy writing about how Leukemia/Lymphoma affects your life. I asked Maria to share her story with me a while back and at first she was very willing. I know all too well that at first we think we’re ready to talk about our loved one’s and watching any kind of sickness take over their bodies. Then the truth hits us: We’re far from ready and often don’t realize how much we’re still affected by the experience (even 10 and 20 years later).

I commend Maria for finding the strength to share her story with me.

With us.

On November 11, 1999, my mother lost her battle with Leukemia.  She was only 57 years old.  I remember things from that day as if it only happened yesterday…

– I watched my mother take her last breathe.
– As I comforted my son, he mumbled, “I only had 7 years with her.”
– The pain was nothing that I had felt before.  It was overwhelming.
– My throat hurt from smoking more cigarettes than I had ever smoked in one day.

For weeks, months and years, I grieved.  I questioned.  I got pissed.  And finally, I accepted.

Today, I honor my mother by living a life that is full of passion, of fear, fear that drive me and by being a kind person.  I am an extension of my mother’s life.  I am her legacy, so I chose to live a good one.

I quit smoking a year after she died, started running, created businesses based on my passion and driven by my fear….  so far, so good.

This is week number eleven. Eight more weeks to go before I step up to that starting line and put the physical portion of this journey we share together to pavement. Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. I can’t wait to give that back to you!

Tara’s Team in Training Page

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