With a Little Help From My Friends

My half-marathon is in 6 days. I have been waiting for an insurance reimbursement to come into my account to pay for my trip to Anaheim for the race (the hotel is paid for, but nothing else is.) I've been checking with the insurance company all month to ensure that the funds were coming - I spoke to 4 people 4 different times in fact. Last Friday, I called again, just to be sure. And was told that "something looked funny in my account." Words that are not good to hear. I was transferred to someone else, who informed me that, in fact, the money would not be coming. Ever. Even though the last four times I called I was assured everything was good and the money would be here shortly.

With 7 days until I was scheduled to leave, I suddenly had no money to pay for the gas and food for my trip. And nowhere to pull it from, no family to borrow from. I was panicked. Sure that all my training and hard work was going to go to waste. We have bills to pay and mouths to feed, and there was nowhere to find anything extra. So we fasted and prayed, any my husband came up with a plan.

"Post it on Facebook," he told me. "You have tons of people who have been following your journey and supporting your training. I think they will want to help." I really wasn't sure about that course of action. It felt like begging. It was embarrassing. But after talking to a friend of mine and sharing the idea, she told me "I HONESTLY love that idea. People are invested in your progress. They want to see you finish. I know I am inspired by you." And so I decided to do it - what did I have to lose? If I didn't get some money somehow, I was missing the race.

So last night I created a Facebook page titled "Please help Morgan get to her half-marathon." And I wrote this post, titled "I really need your help":

The money we were expecting to get us down to my half marathon didn’t come through at the last minute, and I now find myself with four days to come up with the $300 needed for gas and food for my trip.

As you know, I’ve spent the last several months training hard for this race. I’ve been through physical pain and emotional highs and lows, and fought to change who I am and meet my goal. Throughout my journey, you have followed my progress and setbacks, my highs and lows. Your comments have inspired me and lent support when I’ve needed it. I’ve thought back on your words during my long runs and you have all motivated me to push harder and just keep going.

I have found myself so close to reaching my goal, but without the money it seems as though it might slip through my fingers. I hate to ask for more than you’ve already given, but I am out of options for how to raise this money to get me to the starting line. After all the sweat and tears, I really want to see it through to the end.

If you can spare $10, $20, or any amount, I would be eternally grateful, and you would be part of my success.

This morning I sent out links to my Facebook friends - not all of them but the ones I thought might be interested. I shared it on my wall. I posted pictures. And I waited. And worried.

But not for long. Soon emails started coming in. Messages asking for my mailing address and telling me money was coming. From friends. From family. From people from high school that I haven't talked to since our reunion 3 years ago. I got text messages from people from our new church who I hardly know. One woman I work with in Young Women texted me and told me that she was bringing me the money from her date night jar. "It isn't much," she wrote. "It is amazing," I responded. I have been brought to tears more times today than I can count. I don't have the full amount yet, but I believe I will get there. I am in awe at people's generosity and love. I am humbled.

I used to think that running was solitary. That I was alone out there. Turns out I could not have been more wrong. And now, my first half-marathon will mean even more to me, because I will have all that love and goodness with me, spurring me on. I will succeed, for myself, and all those people who support me.