Today marks a momentous occasion...Go Red For Women! This is the day set aside for women, and men, to wear red to symbolize women's fight against heart disease. I got into the action by wearing what little I had, since it isn't my favorite color. I donned a red t-shirt emblazoned with the message--I'm a keeper and a small rhinestone heart. Since today's high hit 34 degrees, I topped it off with a red and black windbreaker. Everywhere I went I saw people proudly wearing their red in support. Heart disease affects so many people, and by association it also affects families because they are caregivers and patients' support systems.
Living with heart disease isn't easy since once the heart weakens everything kind of goes haywire. The blood isn't pumped as well, which leaves toxins in the body, not to mention a build up of fluid which can block lungs, etc. How did I learn first hand about the disease? My grandfather died of it after years of going though more tests than any one person should have to withstand. Needless to say he was a hero of mine way before he showed his mettle while fighting to live.
As romance writers we understand romance, the ways of the heart, and are associated with love. Though we specialize in paranormals here at Star-Crossed that doesn't mean we discard the basics, after all matters of the heart are essential to our heroes and heroines. And the most common symbol of that emotion is a heart...so it seemed like a logical jump. Plus the large majority of romance writers are women!
(On a tangent, this also had me thinking back to fundraiser brainstorming at a board meeting. What would be cooler than a Writers Walk? That way we could all train for the event to get us out of our chairs for a brief amount of time, help us drop some unhealthy pounds, and give us a way to fundraise for our local groups or other non-profits like those for illiteracy.)
If you've been reading this blog long, you know I'm a multi-tasker. These days I can't seem to help it. So I decided since my half marathon falls on the day before Valentine's I'd use the event as a "fun-raiser" for the American Heart Association and pay respects to my grandfather's memory along the way. 13.1 miles is a long haul, so I'll have time to think about him, and the rest of my family as I plod along. He was the man who taught me to put in a hard days work, yet he also showed me family was integral to living a good life. Looking back on al I've accomplished, I wouldn't have made it to where I am today without the love and support of a long list of friends and relatives who helped me along the way.
So if you're looking for a unique valentine, especially for the the person who has everything, then stop by my page and make sure when you donate to leave a message.
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As an aside on heroes from last Friday if you want to see an example of how much a hero can take and keep on ticking, check out Dean Karnazes and David Goggins! I finished Dean's first book, ULTRAMARATHON MAN, in almost 8 hours straight. If you want an example of someone with extreme endurance, or someone superhuman, these are men who know all about those topics.
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