The first miles are
for me. That is how I started this
project and it was inspired by Angela Giles Klocke who started her journey in
January. You can read about her journey
and her challenge at http://scarsandtiaras.com/1000-miles.
My journey started
yesterday with me walking 2.270 miles. I
had planned on only starting with a mile but I continued on after that first
mile and kept walking. I wanted to start
right but I wasn’t sure if I could continue walking after that first mile. Still, I made it and over and felt proud of
myself. It was a challenge and like many aspects of my past, I overcame it.
But why am I
walking? If you haven’t read the scars
and tiaras blog, I am walking for the same reason as Angela Giles Klocke...to
honor those who have been lost, those who have been victimized, those who have
survived and those who are on the path to thriving from the effects of abuse,
violence, neglect and mistreatment.
Every step that I take
in this journey will be for others but these first miles are for me. If you haven’t realized from much of my blog,
I suffered from childhood abuse. It was
hard coming to terms with all that I had suffered but after seeking counselling
for it in my 20’s, I was able to overcome many of the feelings of self doubt
that I had. However, the journey from
survivor to someone who thrives is not an easy one and there are times that my self
confidence is hit hard, the scars that have healed will, at times, hurt from
past memories but every year, as I build up my confidence, they don’t hurt as
often or as much.
I am blessed to have a
loving husband that has helped me through much of my healing process and I am
blessed to be a mother. The things I
want for my children are so much more than what I had for myself and every part
of me goes into creating a better life for my family.
And they are thrilled
that I am doing this. My own children
have asked to come along on some of the walks, especially on the weekends, and
I will be taking the journey with my own companion. For shorter days, I will be walking with my
English Mastiff and for longer days, I will be walking with my Labrador Retriever.
So What Are You Doing Exactly?
Like Angela GilesKlocke, every day, I will be walking for someone whose life has been touched by
abuse or violence. I will place their
name or initials on a note card and I will carry their name as I walk.
During the walk, I
will take a picture of the card and post it here on the blog, on the facebook
page and also on my twitter account. I
will share stories if I am asked to.
Each walk will be
dedicated to one person or one family and I will not carry more than one so
that each walk is special to those people.
How Long will You Walk?
Every day will be
different and will depend on the weather, how I am feeling, my commitments
during that day and also the day of the week.
I hope to walk at least 2 miles every day but there will be days when
the walk will be shorter and days when the walk will be longer.
In total, my goal is
to walk 1000 miles in honor of victims and survivors of abuse and violence in
one year. So by March 25th,
2015, I will have 1000 miles down.
Will You Walk for Me or My Loved
One?
Yes, I would be
honored to walk for you or your loved one.
Simply send me a message to sirena.van@sympatico.ca
with the following:
Subject: Please Walk
for _____________
In the body of the
email, let me know any information that you would like me to share on the blog
post. In addition, please let me know if
you would like me to write something important on the card such as “Survivor”
or “RIP”. You can use initials or first name, or a full name. You can also share a bit of the history or nothing at all. This is completely up to you.
What will Happen If You Don’t
Have Anyone to Walk For?
Sadly, there is always
someone to walk for and if it comes down to me not having a name on my list for
someone to walk for, then I will find a name in the news. On those days, I will
write down the name and will walk in honor of that person.
Does It Cost Money for you to
Walk in My Honor?
No, I am not asking
for any monetary compensation so please do not send me any. If you would like
to donate, please donate to a local charity for survivors of violence and
abuse.
Since this campaign
was inspired by Angela’s Scars and Tiaras walk, if you are not sure of a
charity to give to but would like to donate to one, please use the charity that
Angela is directing funds to. This is
the Tellar Safe Habor, which is trying to fund the creation of a safe house in
their area. You can donate to them here http://tellercountysafehouse.org/help.html.
How do you Track your Mileage?
I am using both a
pedometer and I am charting my course on a map site before I head out. Every day, I will start from my front door
and take a different route before returning home.
If you have any
questions for me, please let me know. I
have already started my 1000 miles with 2.270 miles being finished. Yesterday, I walked for me, today, I will be
walking for all the victims of violence and abuse but I have already started
adding names for my walk. If you would
like me to walk in honor of you or someone you know, please send me an email.
Thank you for your
support as I walk these 1000 miles.
Who I am walking for this week
March 25: Sirena Van Schaik
March 26: Survivors and Victims of Violence and Abuse
March 27: Family
March 28: SMD - Survivor of Childhood Neglect, Rape and Spousal Abuse
March 29:
March 30: Lisa Seeber - RIP March 22, 2014, Victim of Murder/Suicide
2 comments:
I am so proud of you, and honored as well. Thank you for joining the challenge and the cause. <3
Thank you Angela and thank you for putting together this challenge. I am honored to be a part of it now.
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