Mari Ruddy At almost 61, I’m still open to love — but I no longer wait for it to validate me. Here we are again, Valentine’s Day. I’m not a big holiday person, never have been. Likely because my childhood was complicated and difficult, and holidays usually left me feeling confused, left out, and disconnected — in … Read more
On organizing, illness, privilege, and choosing hope anyway. The sun is out today, the last day of January 2026. This morning I was walking my dog, Sam, as the sun rose and streaked the sky in breathtaking orange and pink. I found myself thanking Mother Earth for her glory and for the gift of those … Read more
Health fluctuates. Energy fluctuates. Motivation fluctuates. That isn’t a flaw in the system — it is the system.
Thanks for reading my Race Plan for the Loony Challenge that I did as part of the TCM Marathon Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5. Writing a Race Plan is something I go into detail about in my book Extreme Healing: Reclaim Your Life + Learn To Love Your Body. Having a … Read more
I am running the Twin Cities Marathon Weekend Loony, which means on Saturday, October 4th I am running a 10K race at 7:15am and a 5K race at 8:45am. Then on Sunday, October 5th I am running the Twin Cities 10-mile race which goes from downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol in Saint Paul. On … Read more
I wasn’t sure I’d live this long. Maybe, if like me you have a difficult chronic illness such as diabetes or cancer, it’s easy to imagine an early end-of-life. But here I am, essentially quite healthy, living with both type 1 diabetes AND my third round of breast cancer. Go figure! In a few weeks, … Read more
Do you know someone, maybe you yourself, who has a difficult chronic illness? Like cancer. Something that’s labeled “incurable”? Something that forces you to consider your mortality. Something that jumps in your face as “death is on its way.” I’ve gotten to dance with death a few times in this lifetime. Nothing like a diagnosis … Read more
Great to be back with you all again. I needed to take a bit of an unplanned break from eNews and blogging. The holiday season was harder on me emotionally than in previous years. I did lots of good therapy and introspection to heal the wounds that made themselves evident this holiday time. Turns out, … Read more
Feeling my emotions deeply is a new behavior for me. I’ve been doing that quite a bit the past few weeks. Turns out, doing this was a good setup for the Breast Cancer Rest & Renew Image Reborn Foundation retreat I attended November 8 – 10, 2024 in Park City, Utah. With this third breast … Read more
Life these days is intense. Likely you can relate. The state of the world isn’t easy. The US elections. Wars. Hurricanes. Life is ever shifting and much of what’s happening isn’t joyful. Thus we are challenged on a daily basis to keep our spirits up. I see it in the eyes of fellow shoppers at … Read more