News Update :
Thursday, October 21, 2010

Gratitude Is My New Attitude


So, the other day I rambled on and on and on about my experience at the United Healthcare Half-Marathon event in Newport. But, one of the things that I didn't really write about was the number of people who kept shouting out to me because of my sheer awesomenesss. Sorry - that was my ego typing. I mean, because of my purple shirt.


After joining the Team in Training in August, I was given a purple team shirt. I never realized how many people recognize the shirt or have participated in one of the many worldwide events. Now, I know!


People who have walked, run, swam, biked in other Team in Training events are happy to cheer you on. They have known the uphill climb of the last mile of a race...even if it's all down hill! They call out to you from the sidelines, from the finish line - even as they blow by you mid-event. The shirts are the queue for even non-Team people to shout out, "Go Team!" -- a phrase that can push you farther than you would expect.


But more gratifying, and infinitely more humbling, are the people who stop and say thanks. I keep running into people with a personal story of a friend, a family member, a neighbor, an acquaintance who has been touched by leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and things I can't spell or pronounce.


I am rarely speechless, but I am always rendered "awkward" in these moments. How do you say you are more than welcome? How do you say, it is my honor and privilege to be able to do this? How do you say, this is as much for me as it is for you? Didn't someone once say that there is no such thing as an unselfish act?


I am grateful to have the physical ability and the strength to do this. I am thankful for the friends and family and strangers who cheer me on. I am indebted to the raffle sponsors, whose businesses I shall sing from the rooftops. [I am pleased that my thesaurus gave me so many choices to use to demonstrate my appreciation.]


If you need reasons to feel gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, indebtedness...go visit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's blog: http://community.lls.org/blogs/lls You will read stories that inspire you. Yes, some will make you cry - many will make you smile. Most, if not all, will help you make gratitude your new attitude.

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