A MESSAGE FROM Lucky #7
Hi friends! On November 6th, I will be running the New York City Marathon. This year, in honor of my fiancé's 7th year of sobriety, I will be running my 7th marathon! To celebrate this huge milestone, I have teamed up with Release Recovery to raise money for their incredible cause! Founded by Zac Clark, Release Recovery was founded to help those struggling with addiction and mental health to receive the help they need in a safe and supportive environment. Through Release Recovery's individualized programs, everyone in the program is given the tools and resources they need to make purposeful decisions on their road to recovery.
Now, a little background on my story and why I am choosing to run alongside these incredible people who started such an amazing organization! In 2020, I reconnected with my now fiancé, Collin. 5 years sober at the time, we reconnected at a friends wedding and ended up talking the entire night (sorry, Morgan and Cody)! Later that evening, he texted me to make sure I got home ok and the text chain hasn't been quiet since. Last year, I was with him in NYC--we were still dating long distance at the time-- when he celebrated 6 years (May 21) sober. We spent the day celebrating with an early morning 6 mile run in Central Park (my idea) followed by Chick-fil-A (Collin's idea). Over the course of the weekend, he opened up about his journey. He talked about the emotions he felt in rehab, the months that followed, the tough conversations he had to have with old and new friends, the phone calls he'd get from his friends in rehab; "he's gone," a friend would say on the other end. He talked about the wake up call in the hospital and the day he made the decision to stop drinking--it wasn't until day 75 out of 90 that he really truly decided that the life he had been living before wasn't the life he was meant to live now. To know Collin is to love him and to love his journey and his honesty and commitment to wake up every single day making the same choice.
It is not lost on either of us that Collin is one of the lucky ones. His family is truly out of this world, with unwavering support through every single worried phone call that ultimately led him to his recovery. His friends, who have stuck by him in his darkest most vulnerable days. His access to the resources and help he needed to get sober. So yes, Collin is a lucky one and I am thankful every single day.
But what about the unlucky ones? The ones who can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, the ones who can't imagine living their life any other way, the ones who simply need just ONE person to show up and walk beside them every step of the way. What about them?
So, why I am running the New York City Marathon with Release Recovery? I'm running to be the ONE that just might help someone struggling to turn their life around and start living the life they were always meant to live.
I hope you will consider donating to a cause that is near and dear to my heart. No amount is ever too small AND if I can get someone to donate just $25 a day I will reach my goal! Time to hit the ground running and dream big!
All my love,
Meggie
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