Today, I Cried

Now, I don't want ya'll thinking this is a pity-party post, because it's not. Not all tears are tears of sadness. Some can even come from joy. Several little things have happened since I last blogged and I want to tell you about them. Getting healthy is a multi-faceted thing. ALL aspects of being undergo changes. For me, that means these past few days have been emotional ones.

I'm sure most of you realize that I blog under a pseudonym. And most of you know my real first name. And I'm sure most of you realize that my blog email address is in no way connected to my main email address. And this is why:

As some of you may know, I've been involved in a 2 year custody dispute for my eldest child, Kitty. It's been ugly. Horrifically ugly. And because of this, I blog in such a way that the other parties (yes, parties) in this dispute cannot find my blog and use anything I say there against me.

But recently, there have been some changes. The Marine, my ex-husband and father of my daughter Kitty, not only extended an olive branch to me, but owned his own sh*t and apologized to me for the ending of our marriage, the way it ended and everything else that has happened in the last 10 years. He was clean, sober and sincere. His wife, whom I have had a chilly relationship with in the past, also apologized to me for the way she has treated me in the past and all the nasty things she told Kitty growing up about me that weren't true. Now, they have decided to support my suit for full and permanent custody of Kitty.

That, for me is the biggest positive turn around. It's more of a blessing than I could have ever asked for. But, it's not all!

The Guardian Ad Litem for the case suddenly began singing a different tune yesterday. A tune that is in my favor. And it started in court when he could have easily continued to throw me under the bus and had already informed me that he was planning on doing so.

I cannot tell you how these two things alone lift so much stress and worry off from me! But, things just keep getting better and better...

My husband, the Corporate Prince, has been so inspired by my dedication to the Couch to 5k program that he has now started training for a triathlon using the Couch to Tri program. He hopes to complete a spring triathlon this year, a couple Olympic distance triathlons next year, Half-Triathlons the year after and really hopes to qualify for the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii by the time he's 40. That's 6 years away, folks! But, he has found an avid interest in life and an abundance of energy since he started focusing on the program recently!

I don't think any of you know this, but my biological mother passed away of Leukemia 19 years ago. I was 5 yrs old. And I have very few memories of her. Those that I have revolve around her illness and hospitals and catheters. Back then, not a whole lot was known about Leukemia and many of the treatments were more like clinical trials with a very, very low chance of survival.

My mother was 33 years old when she passed. I am now 34 years old. I also am the spitting image of her, albeit slightly shorter.

Today, I was inspired to look up information on races and walks held in honor of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I found a few here in Oregon and some that I might consider traveling to later this year. However, I came across a group called Team In Training, where you can join the cause, get training help from their certified coaches and compete while raising money for research and treatment to help others.

I will not only run in Portland's Race for the Roses, but I will be running in my mother's honor. I will run for the mother I barely knew.

That made me cry.

So, my friends, I challenge you to find a race, a walk, a trail ride, something and donate your time to a cause that means something to each of you. Not only will we get fit and healthier doing this, but we will feel good knowing we helped make this world a little bit better, and made a difference in a life.

Are you with me??