My Walk With Megan

A Summary

I started my “Walk With Megan” in January 2018 and completed my goal one year later, 100K, in January 2019.  This was done during her last ten months alive and ended some three months after her death which occurred on November 14, 2018.

This period of time was the most intense time for Megan and her family.  Her ovarian cancer, that had been in remission, returned with a vengeance.  She dealt with many tests and treatments, mostly done at the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York City.  After many operations her doctors had to convey to her that further invasive treatments could not be done. 

I tried to explore what I could do to deal with this in my own life.  Since I had been active in the Columbia Volksmarch Club, an organization that sponsors planned walks, it came to me to consider a pledge to walk 100K in honor of Megan.  My  first walk, January 2018, was a  5K distance inside the Columbia  Mall, Columbia, MD,  during a cold, wintry day.  I commented on my Blog,https://meganwalk.blogspot.com,         that this felt like a “Walk in Prayer.”  The walks became a time, not only to enjoy the activity, but also to reflect, in  honor or in memory of Megan’s life. The final walk was completed in January 2019, on a walk through Ellicott City, MD.  Megan’s brother , RJ, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, accompanied me.  My comment on this last walk was, “we grieve our loss….and  remember our Megan to walk forward with her.”

The range of my walks extended throughout the U.S.  Most of the walks were located near our residence, but while travelling I took the opportunity to take walks afar from our home.  For instance, while in Albuquerque,  NM., attending the Balloon Festival, I took time out to Walk With Megan.  Also, when visiting my sister, in North Manchester, IN, on her 90th birthday,  I completed a walk there.  While visiting Megan’s family in Binghamton, NY, I participated in a Volksmarch in that city.  On a weekend trip to Ocean City, MD, I walked the boardwalk in Megan's honor.

I created a Blog, writing down my thoughts of each Walk With Megan, trying to relate some of the sights along my way, but also adding some comments of my thinking as it related to Megan’s life.  Here is a collection of some comments I recorded:

—”sunshine and natural beauty uplifts us from our normal cares”  (Greenbelt, MD)

—”the trail is on ahead and I (We) will walk with her”  (Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, Md)

__ “Megan experienced ….a confluence of many medical contents...medicines, operations exams, etc”  (Binghamton, NY)

__”hope she (Megan) enjoys the wonders of Spring and the colors of growth”  (Columbia, MD)

__”it was good to include in my ventures an actual path where Megan walked” (Binghamton Univ.)

__”Megan enjoyed the sun and sand here”  (Ocean City, MD)

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I tried to include a few pictures on my walk to record some of the sights along my walks.  Here are a few gathered to remember my Walk With Megan.  Also I included some pictures of Megan from our family archives.

 Megan at her HS graduation

                                      

                                       Peggy in Binghamton, NY

          

                                                             

          

Megan and Molly in front of the Maple tree

  

                                                       At the Balloon Festival, Albuquerque, NM   

                        

Megan reading to her sister Olivia

        

     Molly leaving a note about Megan on a walk near Binghamton         Univ., Megan’s alma mater

                                                             

 

Mary, David and Lois (90th Birthday)

                                            David, RJ, Elizabeth on last walk reaching 100K

I am happy to say I have completed my goal of 100K, about 62 mi., for Megan.  It has been, not only a pleasant experience to walk the various places, but also it has served as a way to express my loss.  I estimated that I took about 140,000 steps to complete my journey, based on a calculation of an average number of steps per kilometer.  I don’t think this venture is over.  I intend to continue to walk, primarily in sponsored Volksmarches, in the future.  My last words to Megan were, “We (Peggy and I) love you and we intend to walk forward with you.”

Walk with Megan....My goal has been reached!!

My goal for a 100K walk with Megan has been completed!  Over a year's span I completed the commitment to walk in honor of Megan. On the last walk I was fortunate to have her brother, RJ, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, to accompany me for the last segment of my goal.  They were visiting Peggy and I over their college breaks and it worked out well to include them on this final walk.

We started at the Roger Carter Community Center, Ellicott City, MD. The walk took us through the streets of Ellicott City, MD, which had recently been flooded during a major storm.  We walked up the hill to some residences and near a church which had been converted into an Historical Museum. Coming on down the hill we came to main street where many of the shops were boarded up or were in a stage of renewal.  On  Main Street and across the bridge,which crosses the Patapsco River,  we ventured and then back across the bridge to the other side of Main Street.  We were curious about one antique store along the way, so we decided to pause and go inside.  It was filled with many curios...old watches, cigarette lighters, typewriters, costume jewelry, old signs and anything you could imagine. On down Main Street we saw a Syrian cafe and decided it was a good place to take a break and have a snack.  We enjoyed some coffee, tea , cocoa and even a small baklava.  Now on we went to the last leg of our trip ending up at our starting point.

This walk recalled some connections to Megan and her family.   Just as this city had experienced devastation, so too, had our family felt such a loss.  At the same time, we noticed several shops on Main Street rebuilding and trying to get their business back in order.  We experience now this same directive, although we grieve our loss, we do remember our Megan and walk forward with her. 
Go Megan!!!

Previous  95 K
Current      5 K
Total       100K  Goal completed..Yea!!

The Historical Museum, Ellicott City, MD

Crossing the Patapsco River into Ellicott City

Walking down Main Street

Back at the Roger Carter Center with RJ and Elizabeth