Guest post from Anna Antell: I am a mother, a wife, a runner, and a licensed clinical social worker. When I heard about the tragedy of Meg's passing, I felt the loss in all parts of my being. It stung my core, and touched everything I know and believe about parenting, about being a partner, about running, and about trauma and loss. I felt raw. Acutely, I felt the fragility of this life and the enormous impact of loss. As I drove the streets of Hanover County for work, put in my weekly running miles, and carried on my family responsibilities, I found myself consumed with thoughts and feelings for Meg and her family. I was in awe that while I had never met them, I could profoundly feel the loss of Meg and empathize so deeply with her family. In the first couple of months I posted frequently on the MegsMiles page, offering reflections from my daily miles, and wishes of support and healing to Meg's friends and family. Since then I post less frequently, though Meg and her family are forever connected to my whole being. Because of Meg's Story, I am more aware when I am on the roads. I wear more safety gear when it is dark outside, and check multiple times before I cross streets. Because of Meg's story, my runs have more meaning. Runs are not something I have to do (though for the sake of my sanity, they kind of are!), but rather something I have the ability to do. And because of Meg's Story, I try each day to be more present; to impart on my children both through my actions and my words the importance of gratitude. Gratitude for the gifts of now. The journey of grief is a long, bumpy, and windy one. During this season, my deepest wishes for peace and healing are with Meg's family and friends. I hope that the impact of Meg's beautiful legacy both on me and on people across the world offers comfort to her friends and family. Run on friends. Guest post from Emily Endert: My husband is the runner in our family. We both walked for Meg last January. Now I think of Meg every time I see a runner, walker or cyclist on the road and I pray for save travels for them and the cars they encounter along the way. I work in Human Resources in a Hanover county business. The week Meg died one of my co-workers who knew Meg asked about our Substance Abuse policy and how the testing for cause part of the policy works. It highlighted an opportunity for a policy review in our next all staff meeting. My co-worker wanted to know what she should do if she suspected someone to be intoxicated at work, and what management would do if it was it was reported. Her question opened the public conversation and prompted education on how and when to report. My hope is that this little bit of prevention repeated annually will keep the roads and the workplace a little safer. Meg continues to have an impact on many lives, and not just in the running community. Guest post from Kelly Bauer: I remember seeing this online and I remember tears coming immediately. We don't know how long we are on this earth and how fast things can change. I could only imagine what her family felt hearing this horrible story. I knew that I had a long race coming up that weekend and when I saw so many dedicating their miles to Meg it was amazing. That Sunday I knew I had hills to tackle and the only thought I had was Meg and I won't quit. I was speechless at the amount of people that ran and put their miles in for Meg. I feel blessed that I could be apart of this. Meg left her mark on the world to so many people. What a blessing that is. Bless her family. Has your life been impacted by the death of Meg Menzies. Please share your story. Since January, thousands of lives have been impacted by the death of Meg Menzies. Many of us have been overwhelmed with sadness. But many of us have also found love and hope and encouragement at a time we needed it most. As we've learned more about who Meg was and accepted the call to share her legacy with the world, the stories of our lives have been forever changed. And we've seen lives around us change. If your life has been impacted by Meg's death, I invite you to share your story at the link below. It's my hope our stories will bring comfort and maybe an occasional smile to the Menzies and Cross families who greatly miss Meg, especially so over this holiday season. Submit your story here.
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