A couple weekend ago I was able to partake in an event called Bike MS: Iowa Ride. If you do the event you are challenged to put together a team of riders who not only ride but also fundraise for the National MS Society. I had so much fun during this ride and learned so much about myself and those around me.
While getting the team together and doing my fundraising I learned one major thing: I am surrounded by an amazing and large group of family and friends who truly care about me. I had lunch with two amazing people I have gotten to know through this biking event and one of them said to me today, "you truly find out how many people care about you. You are reaffirmed by those closest to you and you find people who come out of the wood works to support you." That couldn't be any more true to the experiences I have had over the last couple months since my diagnosis.
My close friends and family have done exactly what I expected of them. They have taken on the fight against MS like it is their own fight. They have supported me and my attempts to get into a workout routine, which is incredibly important for someone with MS. They have treated me like the same Matt they knew at the beginning of 2018, which means more to me than people may think. And they fundraised like crazy leading up to the race last month. We ended up being the 4th highest fundraising team out of all the teams that participated in the ride! We raised over $5,000!
I also found out how many people from my past support me and care about me no matter how many times we have talked over the last couple years. I was blown away over the two months I was fundraising of the number of people that reached out, messaged me, and donated to my ride. There were people that I hadn't talked to since high school donating and reaching out saying they cared about me and wanted to have a small part in my fight against MS. There was someone I had never met before but was a friend of a friend who donated money, it was incredible! There are no words to describe what it feels like to get a notification saying someone who you didn't expect to donate and support you, donate and support you and for that I am forever thankful! These people are the reason I was able to fundraise as much as I did!
I have learned about those that I can trust and depend on but I also learned how incredibly blessed I am. It is easy to take for granted those that are always by your side, especially during the good times, but as I travel down this new road it has allowed me to slow down and look at things differently. It has allowed me to see the shear amount of people that truly care about me, truly care about helping this world! It allows me to analyze how I treat others. Would I be there for someone if the rolls were switched? How would I be there for them? How can I be better at being there for people down the road because people have been so good to me!
I challenge you to take some time and think about those people who are around you and how blessed you truly are. Thank those that are there for you and tell them you love them and care about them! And I challenge you to think about how you treat others. What would your response be if someone needed you? What if they don't, does that change how you treat them? I think these are great questions that I have been afforded the chance to ponder thanks to all of you amazing people!
I love all of you and am so thankful for everything you guys do to uplift me and others!
Take heart!