This book is dedicated to my husband Kevin (there is no one in the world that I would rather search for inspiration with!) and my children, Dylan and Reagan, whose smiles are my reason for living. My mother and father Ray and Marilyn McGrath, I love you both so much, thank you for making me believe that I could succeed at anything! My sisters who know me so well, and who put up with my crankiness, who love to laugh with me and who accept that I can't cry in front of people; they are my best friends. My in-laws Dan and Betty Martinsen, whose excitement for this book kept me writing on days I didn't want to. My sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews (even my furry ones). My neighbors, my friends, my #lafamilia, my “running box girls” who saved me tons of money on therapy just by running those long miles with me. My “soul sisters” and my entire Long Beach, New York, community. Without these people I am not sure this book would have been published.
Three days before the final edit was to go to my publisher, I had a house fire. It was three o’clock in the morning and we had friends in the guest bedroom who smelled the smoke. Waleka and her son Gian woke us and they will forever be my angels here on Earth. We were all able to run out of the house to safety. We survived, the house did not. In the days that followed, my family, neighbors, and friends saved me from a fate worse than a destroyed home and all its memories . . . they saved me from being engulfed in despair. Within hours of the fire being put out, and continuing throughout the week, people arrived at my home offering clothes, food, a place to stay and, most importantly, hugs. If you are one of those people who reached out via text or Facebook, phone or email, who offered me your home, your clothes, food, hugs, love, or any kindness during that time, please know I appreciate you! I have no idea what I would have done without these people in my life. This book is dedicated to their charity, love, and truly inspiring behavior.