Begin again

One of my favorite clients posted these words a few months before she died of ovarian cancer last year:

I read them only after her passing, and they brought tears to my eyes.  I make so many mistakes, especially as a parent, and it is often hard for me to remember that each moment is a chance to begin again. My girls, ages 15 and 12, are at a tough age, and there are days when I feel like I'm a terrible mother. But then I take a breath, and begin again. This year marks 10 years since my dear friend Dana Gong passed away, and her girls are growing up without her. One of my older daughter's closest friends lost her mom to breast cancer last year. So I remember that, even though I'm not perfect, we as a family are fortunate that the typical struggles of adolescence are all we have to contend with.

Six months from now, on April 20, 2020, I will run my 3rd Boston Marathon as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. My goal is to raise $10,000 for their Claudia Adams Barr Innovative Basic Cancer Research program, to help find treatments that save lives, and prevent other children from growing up missing a parent.

Although right now I'm just building miles and not following a specific training program, I will post updates on my training progress and fundraising in this blog. This morning, my husband Edward and I ran 8 miles together to beautiful Phoenix Lake.

I am grateful to be healthy enough to run, and to have the support of my family as I embark on this six-month endeavor. If you'd like to honor someone with a donation, here is the link to my Dana-Farber page: http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/milinda. As in previous years, I will include the names of honorees on my singlet on race day. I appreciate your support!!