Monday Motivation: “It’s for Them, Not Me”

Monday Motivation, Inspiration for Women and Female Athletes

It is the break of dawn as the rose glow emits behind the eastern hill in my backyard. Checking the temperature, I see it is only 37 degrees. The warm wood-burning stove inside my home makes it feel much warmer than that – 73 degrees in fact – as I strip down to a t-shirt. Oh, I’m ready to get out there and run right now but my limited cold-weather asthma breath says, “Just hold on.”

It has been four months since I signed up to run the Boston Half Marathon on a whim after seeing another post about a friend with a cancer diagnosis. I was mad and felt helpless in the moment so I clicked on the “Join the Dana-Farber Cancer Center Team” in the blink of an eye and keystroke. “I’ll show cancer what I think of it by running a half marathon! There is no messing around with me.”

The dried red rose bush, my son and daughter-in-law gave me after one of my closest friends passed away from complications of breast cancer, is shriveled up outside my kitchen door as the rose light dawns on it. “Hey Teresa’s rose, are you coming along for the run with me on Sunday in Boston?”, I asked it as if to expect an answer. I knew my friend was smiling down from heaven thinking I was downright crazy but tickled by the idea I would be remembering her this way.

Humor has always been a way I’ve dealt with life. I’m a pretty joyful person – always have been – and even the subject of death can’t sadden me too long. I have strong faith and believe good people end up where they are supposed to be and being a good person in life sets the tone for all things to come. If running for a cure for cancer helps someone else, I love in the future then I’m glad I’m up at 5:30 a.m. ready to run in the soft pink glow of morning.

As I head outside, I see the quote by my door that says, “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” Amen, I think as the last week of training begins today and will be over one week from this morning. I’ll wear Teresa’s name on my arm and a list of people who donated $1,500 to the Dana Farber Cancer Center as I run the 13.1 miles in Franklin Park in Boston being grateful for every step and breath I take.

“It’s for them, not me that I’m running,” I say as I head out the door into the pink abyss.