Help and spread hope

When I think of Samuel Parrish, his big, contagious smile instantly appears in my mind. Anyone that knew him can vouch that his smile could illuminate the darkest of any rooms. While Samuel was really nothing more than a mere acquaintance for years and for a brief period, my coworker, his recent suicide has shocked, saddened, and moved me to action.

It’s strange how “aware” I think I am about something…until it really hits home.

“But Samuel was normal. Normal people don’t commit suicide.”

But normal people do. 121 million people in the world are battling depression. Suicide rates have soared sixty percent in the past forty-five years. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among men and women ages fifteen to forty-four. The third leading cause of death? The most frightening aspect of depression to me is the fact that you can’t be certain who is suffering from it. Sources tell me now that Samuel was depressed for months, something I never noticed once when working with him.

One thing is certain, however. I will do everything in my power to make sure suicide doesn’t hit this close to home again. One of my favorite quotes states: “In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity.” Grieving death may be the most difficult experience in life, but it is the prime opportunity to make a change and bring hope to others in memory of lives lost.

There are several novel organizations dedicated to finding help for people suffering from depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) began as a movement to help a suicidal friend and via Myspace, quickly became a phenomenon that has since brought hope to over 80,000 people dealing with depression  in 40 different countries. The non-profit organization serves as a community to let young adults and teens know that they are not alone and directs them on where to find help. Events are held all over the country and my dear friend, Ben Skipworth, has been working hard to institute a chapter of TWLOHA at UNA. I’m positive he would be accepting of any help to raise awareness of the organization here in the Shoals. To learn more about TWLOHA, click here.The Healing Place is a local non-profit organization that provides grief support and counseling for those dealing with death and depression. The Healing Place offers its services free of charge. Volunteers are needed to assist with the children’s groups. Training is provided on site. To get involved, contact Amanda at 256-383-7133. For more information, click here.

Oddly enough, September 5th, the day Samuel passed away, marked the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week. While there is nothing anyone can do to bring Samuel back, it’s clear that there are several ways for us to share our strength, love, happiness, and hope to help save the lives of others. Love is the movement. What will you do to to be a part of the solution?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

Back in the Saddle

I love how my last post said I would blog daily, and now here I am four months later, finally finding time to provide you with a summer recap. I wasn’t totally neglectful of blogging while in Chicago, as I did post the occasional picture on Tumblr.

So, my summer. Ahhhhh, my sweet, sweet summer. My endless love for Chicago only grew deeper during the 3.5 months I lived and worked there. Technically, I lived in Evanston, a cutesy suburb just north of the city that is the home to Northwestern University, lovely historic houses, an abundant Saturday morning farmer’s market, and the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife. Fortunately, my roommates and I became great friends and I lived a block from the Metra train station and my commute to work was less than thirty minutes each way. Oh, and I met my true love, Chipotle, in Evanston…can’t forget Chipotle. (I love you, veggie burrito bol! Please never leave me.)

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society–Illinois Chapter office is located in the West Loop in downtown Chicago. As I previously stated, my commute was thirty minutes by train, which I didn’t mind at all, because I was able to admire the skyline of my favorite city every morning and think to myself, “I can’t believe I live here. I am THE luckiest girl in the world.” As the only special events intern, I was able to work on three different fundraising campaigns, Man & Woman of the Year, School & Youth programs, and the Leukemia Cup Regatta. My favorite part of my internship (besides the amazing people I worked with), was the ability to reach out and build relationships with participants. Everyone has a story and it’s interesting to hear how they got involved with LLS and what motivates them to fundraise. Working at a non-profit health organization is so rewarding. When you are working with a dynamic team of individuals that are all focused on a mission of saving lives, it makes going to work each morning much more meaningful.

I could go on and on and bore you with details about my summer, but I’ll spare the headache and leave you with pictures. They’re worth a thousand words anyways, right?

Reason #346 to love special events! 80′s night with the roomies!Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup!Everyone loves the bean.The markets in the midwest are incredible.And this is probably why.The family gathered in Rockford, Illinois for the 4th of July.Sangria was my cocktail of choice…all summer long!More fun with the roommates, this time with sushi!The view from Navy PierProud to be here.It’s the new Eyeball sculpture! Creepy…Transformers 3 is filming in Chicago. Pretty cool!Cubs games are always more fun in the bleachers!And with your auntie…And when they WIN!!!Lake MichiganOh, how I miss it…The Leukemia Cup Regatta was a success!The awesome LLS Special Events team!!!Oh yeah, I also ran that marathon with Team in Training in San Diego in June. 26.2 miles cleared and $4,000 raised for LLS! Woop!

The end. I’ll see you soon!

officially a half-marathon princess!

I DID IT!!!!Crossing the finish line of the half-marathon at Disney with thousands of other princesses was nothing short of incredible! Truthfully, I was extremely nervous before the race. Due to cold weather, a jam-packed schedule and low motivation, I did not train for this run much at all. I ran a few miles a handful of times and was positive that I would be walking a good bit of this half-marathon. When I arrived at Epcot at 4:30 a.m., it was freezing. I decided to keep my sweatshirt on and trekked to my corral. I was assigned to the last corral, so I suffered through the cold for about an hour and a half while waiting for the start. Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother was the announcer and with each corral start, beautiful pink, purple and blue fireworks were launched in the air. At this point, I attempted to take a picture and realized my camera battery was dead. Oops, I had a feeling I should have charged that thing. Luckily, my phone has a decent camera and provided legible pictures from the run.Disney provided musical entertainment and characters throughout the race that kept it exciting and fun. Miles 1, 2, and 3 were basically spent running off the road around the walking masses of people. I planned to run a couple miles, then walk a minute, and repeat, but didn’t feel the need to take a walk break, so I kept running. Around mile 4, I was in a groove and feeling great. I warmed up, and I paused for a second to tie my sweatshirt around my waist. Shortly after mile 5, I entered the Magic Kingdom and caught my first glimpse of Cinderella’s castle! I pulled out my camera to see if it had enough juice to take one photo in front of Cinderella’s Castle. It pulled through. From here to mile 7, I felt like I was on a Disney ride myself, just enjoying the crowd and the sights. It was an unforgettable experience. I hit mile 8, and thought, “Man, I only have 5 more miles to go! I can’t believe I haven’t taken a walk break yet!” I was super proud of myself. Soon enough however, my legs gave me a rude awakening. Miles 9, 10, and 11 were so tough, to say the least. My knees were killing me, my legs felt like they weighed ten tons, and my hamstrings were cramping. I stopped for a second, thinking a 30 second walk might relieve the pain, but it was a thousand times harder to walk than run. I picked the pace back up and sent my mom a text (yes, while running…I’m a multitasker!) and she told me to push through the pain and finish strong. When I saw the mile 12 marker, all I could think was, “One more mile!!!” I glanced at my Garmin watch and my elapsed time was around 2:32. I instantly decided to finish this thing in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes. I ran as hard as I could through the pain, and finally spotted the 13 mile marker. Hallelujah! I saw the finish line ahead and sprinted to it. Final chip time: 1:39:55. Yes sir.

Now to some of you hardcore road racers, this time may not be impressive. If I had trained properly, I probably would have been disappointed at my 12 minute/mile pace. But, I didn’t train. My goal Sunday was to finish. I ran the whole time. I still can’t believe it. I knew adrenaline would kick in, but I was shocked it carried me the whole way through. I was elated. It was one of my proudest moments. Evelyn and Anna greeted me at the finish. The best part?? The beneficiary of the race proceeds was the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

The Disney Princess half marathon was the highlight of my weekend, but the four days I spent in Orlando were completely fabulous! I reunited with my best friend, Evelyn, who I had not seen since I was nine years old. She invited us to crash at her house, and took us all over Orlando for dinners, drinks, and fun. Her roommates were a trip…such outgoing ladies! We all enjoyed a night out together on Friday, which ended with two free pizzas. Can we say success? Reconnecting with my old friend was better than I had imagined it! I have a feeling our friendship will last a lifetime. I also had the opportunity to catch up with my Cape Cod buddy, Jenn! She happened to be in Orlando for the weekend as well, so we met up with her and Steve, her boyfriend, for a late lunch. Jenn is quite a character and a great friend. In the short time I have known her, I’ve come to value our friendship immensely!

I’m back home now, and ready to shift focus to some intense marathon training over the next few months. A big thanks to everyone who has donated to my Team in Training! So far, I have already raised $950.00 and have yet to send out all my donation letters! There is no greater feeling in the world than helping others, and receiving the overwhelming love and support of so many people in doing so. It really makes my heart warm and fuzzy and the world seems like a brighter place. Tomorrow, I’ll announce the winner of the Target giveaway! Have a great week!!!!!