Next On A Very Special MandiCrocker

OUR STORY

My Most Important Blog to Date

I had hit rock bottom.  I was not making enough to pay my bills, I had just totalled my car and I had gained so much weight working at the bakery I didn't even know who I was anymore.

I knew something needed to change, something big.  My friends Jenn & Cory (aka:  Jennifer Love Heater & Boomer) had just done a half marathon through Team In Training and somehow managed to drag me to an informational meeting.  I signed up for a marathon and long story short ran the 26.2 mile Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska.  (Okay, so it was a run for 5 minutes, walk for a minute kinda deal but COME ON.  26.2 miles people!!!  And 8 of them were on GRAVEL!)

Anywho (I have such a love-hate relationship with that word), while most people know I participated in this event, not as many know the romantic comedy underlyings of how we met.  So I thought I'd share...  :)  :)  :)

The Sweet Lovin' Man lost a beloved young cousin to Lymphoma years back when he was living in Los Angeles & donated on his behalf.  During this time, he lived about a block away from me but we never met.  The Sweet Lovin' Man says, 'And we never met.'  (I like to pretend we're one of those old couples at the end of 'When Harry Met Sally'). 

When he went to donate again to The Leukomia & Lymphoma society, my fundraising site came up in the search.  He decided to donate to me due to my witty banter & headlines that screamed 'GIVE ME YOUR MONEY, I'M 800 POUNDS & RUNNING A MARATHON FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!'  Just kidding, I think it said, "Donate here!"   Is that right, honey?  The Sweet Lovin' Man says, "It was your commitment to finish the race and your gentle, wise spirit.  The way your heart sang across the page and dedicated itself to such a noble cause."  I totally made that up.

Anyway!

I came home that day and got the e-mail from the LLS website saying I had a donation.  It was for more than I had yet to recieve & I was completely dumbfounded by this stranger's generosity.  So, like I did with all of my donations, I sent him a letter of thanks.  I'm sure it said something like, "HOW COOL ARE YOU!!??? WOOOOOW!!!  I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!!!" 

And then a lovely thing happened.  He wrote me back.  :)

I think THAT letter probably said something like, "Kudos to you on your journey.  You're doing God's work.  Best, The Sweet Lovin' Man."

And then I wrote him back.  And he wrote me back.  When someone lives halfway across the country & you're very settled in your Los Angeles ways and broker than a joker (cash depending on if it's pre or post Batman entering the picture- in this case, post!), you don't really think about 'Hey, could this be something?'  In fact, I just looked at it as a bright spot in my week.  Bills are more palpable when sandwiched with a hand-written letter.  I've always been a crazy letter writer.  I LOVE mail.

Because of the definite impossibility of anything even remotely romantic, what I was able to do was pour my heart out.  I'd write him & be all, "Life here in LA BLOWS.  Today my mom had to co-sign for me to have a car.  Do you know how that feels?"  And he would write back, "No, I'm a responsible financial analyst.  I only pay for things when I have the money."  BAHAHAHAHAHA... Pays for things when he has the money.  *sigh*  His humor gets me every time.
But before you know it this pen pal had become a true friend.  And when he came out to visit, we went to In 'N Out... and the rest is history.  :) 

Now why am I writing all of this?  Because this wonderful blessing in my life is a Type 1 Diabetic.  And on October 25th, I'm going to be participating in an event called 'Step Out' to benefit the Amercian Diabetes Association.  While he helped me raise money for Leukemia and has saved my life in more loving ways than you could imagine... it would make me sooooo happy to raise as much money as I can for HIM.  :)  :)  :)

Diabetes is a bear of a disease.  Every moment of the day you have to think about what you're eating & then you have to make sure you shoot the right amount of insulin for it... make sure you check your blood an hour later, etc.  And sometimes your body just decides to flip out for no reason.  It's a constant battle that can be truly tiring and heartbreaking.  And yet these people are champs!

So, in honor of my man and all the happiness he has brought me...  And if I have brought YOU any happiness on this here unimportant blog.  Could you?  Would you?  Please donate?  I understand times are tough, so if you can't, no worries.  But please send some extra prayers out tonight for the SLM & his amigos.  And if you can, AWESOMENESS.  :)

Here is the fundraising site:  IN YOUR FACE DIABETES!

Thanks, you guys.  It really means so much.  :)
Mandi