I haven't
written a blog post in over a year because frankly, I have not had the time or
inspiration to write. But this week I have something to talk about.
I have a really
hard time telling my five-year-old son that there is bad in the world. I
want to shield him from it as long as I can to show him how good people are.
I am an idealist, and my idealist beliefs often clash with the negative
events that unfold every day in our world.
Like many,
I have been deeply impacted by the tragic death of Meg Menzies. As a
runner and a mom, I feel connected to her in a way that I can’t explain.
I have tried, but there are no words to say how incredibly sad I feel for this
family. Even at a young age, I always understood what empathy is. I
have always been able to put myself in someone else’s shoes and imagine their
pain, and in turn, feel their pain too in my own body and mind. The pain
that Meg’s husband, Scott, and their children are enduring is absolutely
heartbreaking, painful, raw, excruciating, tragic.
And then
there’s the ripple effect. When someone passes away, we often don’t hear
about the outer layer of people that is affected. We tend only to hear
about the immediate family and friends. When this accident first
happened, all I could think about was her poor husband and children who were
left without a wife and mother. I thought about her friends who ran with
her and would miss her on their training runs. I thought about her
parents who were saying goodbye to their daughter. What came next was
astonishing…the impact to the outer layer.
The last
time I checked, more than 94,000 people had signed up to run in Meg’s honor
last Saturday. #Megsmiles has touched people from the corners of the
Earth. Non-runners and runners alike have been getting out there, logging
miles, wearing blue or purple, in her honor, from Siberia, China, Australia,
Canada and all over the world. These 94,000 people are the outer
layer. More than 94,000 people have been affected by her death so much that
they are trudging out in snow and ice and rain to run for Meg. They are
running alone, they are running with friends and family, they are running with
their pets. They are crying for the family while they run. They are
getting out there after months or years of being sedentary. Parents are
hugging their kids tighter. Husbands are holding their brides
closer. Whether it was 2 blocks or 20 miles, people are getting out there
to show support to Meg and the inner layer of people affected by Meg’s
passing. The positivity we as a human race has shown while mourning the
loss of someone we have never met is overwhelming. And although a lot of
us have been feeling the pain of this family, we have to see this act of human
kindness as nothing short of remarkable.
One drunk driver.
Over 94,000 human beings affected. It is NEVER worth it to drive
intoxicated or distracted. Please put the keys away after drinking and
please put the phone down when driving. Savor the life you are given and
act responsibly.
I can't
imagine ever going running again and not thinking of this incredibly special
woman who has touched so many lives. Every run, walk, message, tweet,
hug or thought that has been made in Meg's honor allows me to show my son that
there is good in the world, even in the face of tragedy. That's a lesson I
am proud to carry forward.
