Some of you have already spent your morning with ARC. Isn’t this group amazing? They’ve been my
family, my “ARC Angel” since I was left with an empty nest.
Left with an empty nest, I no longer had anyone or anything I had convinced myself was more important
than my mental health.
It was then that the trauma I’d experience since the age of seven, and kept hidden in order to survive
began to surface, and of course depression and anxiety quickly followed.
I desperately looked for something new to occupy myself with. I could not bear the pain I was
experiencing. I signed up to train for the LA Marathon with “Train to End Stroke”.
During one of the training sessions in Griffith Park, I came across an ARC tent, advertising “Free”
water…can you imagine “Free Water”, so I had to stop to check out this water. It was then that I was
handed a coupon for “Free Socks” …which of course I had to check out as well…since “Free” totally
aligned with the meaning of my name.
I went in to pick up the socks, and was greeted by the amazing people working at ARC. I found my ARC
angel, as well as all my running angels which met on Thursdays, and almost immediately became a Pacer
for ARC.
The more the pain surfaced the more I ran…running became my therapy along with writing about what
had surfaced during my runs.
It has been a very long journey and many miles running with my angels. I’m the proud owner of many
medals…but the journey would not been possible without all my angels who’d join me on long runs, and
cheered for me at the races.
My condensed Memoirs…” Because of My Guarding Angels” is filled with blessings, sadness, and
blindness, but it ends with me acknowledging that I was never alone! I was indeed blessed with all the
angels placed in my path to guide me and help me become the person I am today…I Am Who I Am
because of my guardian angels…
Always remember that you also are not alone. Look around, stop, notice and acknowledge …all the
angels that have been placed in your path and their eagerness to help you overcome the hurdles you
may encounter in life.
If you are interested in learning more about my journey, visit my website where you can find blogs on my continued journey to healing. www.inhopewerise.com/blog.
