Thought 2: This is Dedicated to the Ones I Love . . .

My first house had a pool in the backyard and my dad had me in the water when I was only 8 or 9 months old, dunking me and teaching me to swim. My first birthday involved a white cake with red sprinkles, a messy face, my best friend Laura, and my family. I had a bald head until I was almost three and my mom had to tape bows to my head to get them to stay. Simpler times for sure.

I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) this weekend in Clemson, SC with my wonderful in-laws. I have done a lot of training runs in Clemson, but this course was brutal, even for 3 miles. Lots of hills, but a beautiful day and for a very special cause – Helen’s Hugs (www.helenshugs.org). This nonprofit organization is in memory of a young woman who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2006. Helen was an accomplished equestrian as well as a nursing student at Greenville Technical College. The race/walk generated funds to provide opportunities for special children to participate in therapeutic equestrian programs. It feels so good to participate and be part of something that has meaning. Running and living with purpose is so important to me and I am blessed to have had so many loving and supportive family members, friends, and even strangers in my corner who drive me to want to do better and live stronger.

There is nothing more important in my life than my relationships. They are truly my greatest blessing. I am unable to write about my past or present without my relationships coming into the narrative. Sometimes it’s about the moments along the way – the pajama care package that my college friends sent me in the hospital, the tabloid magazines the my brother makes sure I have, the bosses and co-workers that were always so understanding and supportive, the Thanksgiving dinner that was sent to Bob, my parents and I after a tough hospital stay, my Hubbard siblings who showed me running and made me believe I could do it too, the surprise visits, my co-worker and friend who donated blood for me before my first surgery, my brother who worked hard to tell me a new joke before every procedure, the nurses who encouraged me to keep walking the halls and the doctors who laughed at my jokes, the care I received at home from the mothers in my life, and my daughter telling me “You go running mommy, way to go mommy.”

My core relationship is my family - my husband and my daughter. Talk about blessings. I will talk about them both a lot more in future blogs, but this was the best place to introduce my home team. It is like I can hear God saying to me, “You’re going to have to go through all of this, but I am going to give you Bob and Megan as my gift.” Bob has been there for me during my highest highs and my very lowest lows. He is really the only person that knows the whole story as he lived it right alongside me. There is not a moment he has not been there. We are celebrating our 16^th wedding anniversary in December and I could not be more proud of who we are as a couple and the battles we have fought together. He was the one that had to do all the worrying and all the waiting. I am forever indebted to him and so very proud to be his wife.  Although she has only been part of our lives for three years next month, we would not be us without our Megan. We adopted Megan and were there with my dad and Bob’s parents when she was born in a small hospital outside Salt Lake City. We cannot have any regrets because if we changed anything about our journey, we would not have her, our dream come true. Her spirit and loving heart keep me grounded every day and always lets me know what is most important. My journey - both past and present, and in and out of my running shoes - is only possible because of Bob and Megan and is for Bob and Megan.

It is easy to say that I would not be here without my mom and dad.  But, I believe from the bottom of my heart that I was given the very best parents.  They were always there and held me accountable while giving me the space and trust to be my own person. They have always believed in me, especially when I did not. They gave me every opportunity in whatever I wanted to do in this world. They always provided me with the comfort that let me know that everything would eventually be ok.  Each of their support came in its own unique way.

First of all, I look just like my dad. We have the same eyes and same hands. My dad not only taught me how to swim, but he instilled in me my love of writing and I am sure many would say a heavy influence on my political views. When my medical problems started, there was no way my dad was going to let me get down about it. He faced his own battle with Crohn’s Disease starting as a teenager and never allowed me to believe I was nothing but a fighter. He wore out the seat in many hospital chairs, although I had to send him out for a walk many times because he gets so restless. My dad is not afraid to jump in the deep end and lives his life fighting the good fight. Although many know him as a funny man, my dad has the heart of a lion and would do anything for his family. He is one of my very best friends and always has been. 

And to my dedication . . . the story of my mom and our relationship goes to the core of who I am as woman, a wife, a mother, and a friend. There is no woman in my life that has had a bigger influence on me. My mom was always there. Even when I did not think I wanted her to be, she got on a plane and showed up at the hospital anyway. She was there every day during the five weeks I spent in the hospital for surgery and complications. She and Bob went to the mall and bought me my first iPod, a pink one, during that visit, and Bob went home and downloaded all my favorite music. She brought me Oreos and Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Chunk. She was also the one that had the nurse in a corner in the hallway when my epidural came out and the nurse did not believe that I was in pain. She was very much a Mama bear. She was there with her hand, her conversation, her snuggles, her treats, and her gumption.

I dedicate this blog to my mom, Joan Boulineaux Nabors, who passed away on July 28, 2009 from a brave and courageous battle to beat Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Losing her is by far the greatest challenge of my life so far. My mom is my hero and I miss her terribly every day. I live and run for her and want to share my story and journey with you in honor of her. My mom and I still had more words to say, more daily phone calls to share, more sappy movies to cry over, more music to blast in the car, more Starbucks iced tea lemonades to drink. Can I just say how much she would have loved the show Parenthood? I did not get to share motherhood with her. However, the more I get up every day and live my life, I feel her presence more and more. Although I will always want more, I feel her nudging me along and sense what she would encourage me to do.

She would be proud of me. I run and live for her, for me, my family, with the spirit of life that my parents instilled in me – give back to others and be your best self.