I went out for my run tonight. To be honest, it was the first one since I fell last week, due in part to my injuries, as well as a busy schedule. So tonight I pulled it together and went out and did a couple of miles. When I got home, Amelia asked me how it was, and I told her it was actually pretty good, and I felt pretty comfortable. She said, “Did you manage to stay on your feet this time?” Man, I love that kid!
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) is focusing on wellness with a 30-day challenge based on the work of Saundra Jain, M.A., Psy.D., L.P.C., an adjunct clinical affiliate at the University of Texas School of Nursing. The wellness program, called WILD 5 Wellness (Wellness Interventions for Life’s Demands) focuses on nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, social connectedness and sleep, giving guidelines for each modality of the 30-day period. The overall goal of the program is to improve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Once the staff and board have gone through the program, it will be shared with the clients that they serve day in and day out. A number of local businesses have donated prizes and opportunities for staff, including Treat Yourself Spa, Sanctuary, and Yoga instructor Lucia Hamen, who will be offering yoga twice a week for staff on the MVCS campus during the month of May. Any Island businesses who are interested in contributing can contact Mary Korba at 508-693-7900, ext. 222.
Don’t forget the two-day Martha’s Vineyard Community Blood Drive on Thursday, May 5, from 1:30 pm until 6:30 pm or Friday, May 6, from 9 am until 2 pm at the high school. You can call 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to cut down on wait time. All presenting donors have the chance to win two Red Sox tickets and a chance to be honored on the field as the Blood Donor of the Game. Please help. You may just save a life.
Looking for a run/walk Saturday? Join the Run Breast Cancer Out of Town 5K Fun Run/Walk. Head to the corner of Atlantic Drive and Herring Creek Road. Parking will be available at the lot on Herring Creek Road. This is a fun run, so runners, walkers, dogs, and strollers are all welcome. Registration is $20 in advance and $25 day-of and includes the 5k registration and a T-shirt. All proceeds go directly to Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group. Register at bit.ly/runcanceroutoftown or go into Rosewater Market to sign up. If I can stay on my feet, maybe I’ll join in too! It certainly is a cause that will always remain near and dear to my heart.
You can also head over to Mytoi on Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm for a spring cleanup. Spend a spring morning caring for the Island’s only public Japanese-style garden. Raking leaves, spreading mulch, and planting and pruning will help them to return the garden to its brilliance for another season. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Riley just sat down and asked me when Mother’s Day is. Apparently it is this coming Sunday, May 8. So don’t forget your moms! They’re pretty good peeps. I, myself, don’t really embrace the day anymore. It’s one of those bittersweet days. I love being a mom, I enjoy the day with my kids, and they usually give me lovely gifts. But for the vast majority of my life, 37 years to be precise, Mother’s Day wasn’t about me! It was about Buzzy. So I usually take a little time on that day to go sit at “our” spot at the beach — on the Oak Bluffs side, of course, because even though we grew up in Edgartown, she was an O.B. girl at heart. I sometimes get something special, like lobster and a little bottle of champagne, and have a little toast to her memory. She’s been gone for almost 12 years, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. Happy Mother’s Day, Buzzy. You are “MPF.”
In honor of moms everywhere, I leave you with this quote from Cardinal Mermillod: “A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take.”
Have a great week!