Music Saved Me. Welcome to Music Saved Me, the show where real people share the moments where music reached in and changed everything. I'm Lynn Hoffman and today's episode of Music Saved Me is so special, not only to me, but to my co-creator, Buzz Knight. We came up with this idea to do a contest and we asked our listeners to tell us their stories and we put out the call for our very first Music Saved Me contest and the response was so extraordinary. Stories of grief and recovery and loneliness and joy and transmission poured in to our inboxes and when our team read through every single one, one story stopped us cold in our tracks. Today, I even have goosebumps while I'm reading this. I'm sitting down, we are sitting down with the winner of the Music Saved Me contest, Mary McManus. Next on This Is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Music Saved Me. Music Saved Me. Mary McManus, welcome to Music Saved Me. I'm going to bring in Buzz Knight who created the show with me and built it to what it is today and we are so excited to have you here with us. I know I speak for Buzz and saying that because we both went through all the submissions. Buzz, it's Mary in the flesh. Mary McManus and Lynn Hoffman, two of my favorite people. Hi. Hi, Buzz and Lynn. It is so great to be here. I got teary eyed when you read the introduction. I was such a passion. I feel very blessed and very grateful and I'm, Buzz and I did take a walk. We did an episode when he was just getting off the ground with the podcast. We have a little history together, but this is just extraordinary. Thank you for having me. Thank you for being had and for living the life that you have lived and being willing to share with everyone for the betterment of others, which is just such a special and self-listening as well. Can you, Mary, take us back to the moment where music entered your life, sort of in a way that never had before? Paint the picture for us. Where were you? What were you going through at that time? So when I was five and a half, I contracted paralytic polio, one of the last polio epidemics, and then I also endured abuse from parents who were drug addicted, alcoholic. And when I'm getting goosebumps just remembering this. So I'm about, oh, maybe, I don't know, seven, eight years old. And my cousin, Paul Blake, comes to our house from the Bronx. Now Paul Blake, as it turns out, is a producer on Broadway. He was Tony-nominated for beautiful, but of course back then neither one of us knew how music would be in both of our futures. But anyway, Paul came to the house. We had an upright piano, and Paul sat down at the piano. We had sheet music for different Broadway shows, and we had books and everything, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hard. And he sat down and he started playing. And he said, come on, Mary, sing along. Now, I can't hold a tune in a bucket, but that didn't matter. That was the moment that music changed my life. Suddenly all the pain I was going through, everything that was happening around me, I was transformed into this other world. And Paul, loving Broadway, told my parents that they had to take me to see Broadway shows. We lived in Westchester, so it was just the rail away, rail right away. My first show was, she loved me when I was probably about 11, few years after that. And I sat in the theater, and when the lights dimmed, curtain went up, and those first notes were played in the orchestra, I was gone. I was transformed. I was transcended. I was probably, I'd come out of my leg brace, but I was still very much debilitated physically, and all of that went away. It was like my body fell away, and just my heart and my soul just were so uplifted by these performers and the experience. Did you recognize it while it was happening? Was it sort of after you thought you realized this is what had happened? No, I felt it in the moment. Very much felt it in the moment. It was magical. It's almost like a religious experience, right? Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely, Buzz. That's a good way to put it. It just, it was. And then we started going to see other Broadway shows, and in addition to going to the shows, I told my parents I wanted the vinyls. So... You got to have the vinyls. Come on, you're a player. I still have them, Lynn and Buzz. Wow. I still have my collection of the original Broadway cast. I have to ask you though, did that moment not only alter you in a positive way, but did it change some of the difficult dynamic that was going on at home? At that moment. At that moment. And throughout the day, when we'd go in to see a show, that's a great question, Buzz. But then because of the addiction, it would just go back to the way it was. But yes, at that moment, and we'd go out for dinner in New York, yes, yeah. So it was a suspension of those horrible tormenting dynamics. But it didn't solve that problem, but it clearly was something that gave you some hope. An escape too, probably. Yeah. And a break. Yeah. Was there a specific song, Mary, or an artist that became sort of the turning point for you? That reached you when nothing else could? Well, I must say the song's from She Loves Me. Probably because it was my first Broadway show and it left such a lasting impression. But also, just the whole story. It's sort of like you've got mail. It's a Broadway version of you've got mail, if you will. So it's pen pals and whatnot. And it looks like they're never going to get together, but then they do so. Also the music is just so uplifting. And there's even a song about ice cream. It was just delightful. And it just reached in and just touched a part of me. And I must say all of the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, Getting to Know You. Oh, gosh, what's the one? Happy Talk is one that my cousin used to play a lot. And so the traditional Broadway shows back then, but yeah, She Loves Me just reached in and just... It's just so light and uplifting and happy and it has a happy ending. So yeah. Mary, what do you think it is? We ask this a lot on the show and we always get slightly different answers, sometimes very different answers. But what do you think the magic is in the music? Is it the lyrics? Is it the melody? Is it the whole package? What makes you go home with the album from the show and just play it over and over and over again? It's something... It resonates in my heart and soul. And also it's a vibration, if you will. It's a vibration that takes one to a higher state that you don't have if you're just here. So I think it's feeling that vibration. It's being connected to something greater than myself, knowing that somebody somewhere just pulled this out of the universe and created this out of nothing. I'm always in awe of how people create music. It's amazing and I think it was on the... Is it Head and Heart Band? Yes, the Head and the Heart Band. And when they talked about how they just felt this connection when they created. And when I was listening to that episode, I said, yes, that's it. We're connected to something greater than ourselves. And also being in a show, being in a concert, and I think they also spoke to this, is that we become all connected. All divisions, everything falls away. And we're just there in the presence of this magical vibration. That so resonates with me too when you just said vibration and you're in a large audience like that. That has to be the thing that connects all of us. It can be so polarizing, right? Someone likes something but someone doesn't like that, but yet the sum of all of it together is what connects us. I often think about how would we explain to someone dropped in from Mars on this planet what music is about and why music is so important and special and how it does so many great things for us. That's a great way that you described it to describe to that Martian what it's all about. I know this is going to sound weird, Mary, but it reminds me of trees. You know how they say trees are all interconnected and they're connected with us and the roots underground? It's the stuff that you don't see that's connected, sort of like music with all of us. Exactly. No, I think that's a beautiful analogy. It really is. Thank you. Yeah. This is so fun because Buzz and I have never hosted a show together and thank you for bringing us together to do just that because it's really nice to have a co-host. It might be the start of something. I know. Excuse me. Something really big. Mary, how did things begin to change once music became part of how you were coping and healing with all the things going on in your life? Your personal ailments and family dynamic and all of that? In addition to listening to music, I had an incredible high school music teacher, Mr. Monroe. I keep in mind I'm 72, so I'm going way back. Do you know I can still picture him to this day? We had music as part of our curriculum in the high school. It was a very small high school. I started out with the cello, but it was too heavy for me. He suggested I do the viola. I started playing in the orchestra. When you talk about connection, I was bullied very seriously bullied. There was no disability awareness back then. When I came back after contracting paralytic polio, I was in a leg brace. I looked different. I was bullied. Gym class was horrible. But there was orchestra. When I was in orchestra, there's no bullying. There's no room for bullying when you're creating beautiful music. Playing music with people who otherwise were not very kind to me suddenly when we were in this setting. It was just, again, I know I'm using the word magical a lot, but it was magical. Then Mr. Monroe encouraged me to try out for all county. In Westchester what would happen is you would audition and then if you made the orchestra, you would spend a weekend with your fellow musicians. You would learn music. You'd play together for the first time. These were people from all over Westchester County. Then on Sunday, we would perform. One of the songs we performed was the overture to carousel. Again, it was just like, oh my God, I'm playing this music and I'm with my peers. Again, to have been so trapped in my body from trauma and polio, it was liberating. It was transcendent. It was fun. It was a joy. That experience I played in the orchestra until I graduated high school. Music just carried me through the Broadway shows, singing with my cousin. He still would come to the house as I was growing up. He was also in a few plays in New York, so I got to see him perform off Broadway. Just the arts, but especially the music, absolutely carried me through. Simon and Garfunkel was a big, big influence. I had all of their vinyls. My dad sadly took his life when I was 17. I had a very dear friend who was also going through a hard time and he loved Simon and Garfunkel. We would sit and listen to the Simon and Garfunkel albums together. From Bridge Over Your Trouble Water to the 59th Street Song, we even went to see them in Concert and Central Park together. We also saw Sean and I. I wanted to marry Bowser. Really? I just loved his slick, I was like the fawns on happy days, right? Sorry. That's okay. So these were all the outlets that I had. And again, feeling the vibration, being in this collective world with other people who had the same love for the music, it really got me through. And I'm guessing too, it brought back your, or maybe gave it to you for the first time, that obvious opportunity to mend fences with kids who may have not known how to handle themselves around you, which is why it came out in that sort of, that all of a sudden you guys were actually a lot more like than you were different. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I actually, I'm still in touch with who played first violin in my high school band on Facebook. And I messaged her and told her how much I appreciated playing with her. Well, we kind of give her a shout out just in case she's listening. Yes. Well, I told her I was going to be on this, so I'll send her the link. But Sandy Thompson is her name. Sandy? She now lives in California. And yeah, she was, I just, I have that image of her and her presence and how she, she was such a wonderful leader in the orchestra. Yes, in terms of mending fences that, you know, people who were, who, you're right, who didn't know how to handle themselves any differently. But in that setting, suddenly there was nothing to bully. I know you have, go ahead, Buzz. I see you've got something burning. You have a book called, A Most Unlikely Runner, Inspiration From the Heart of a Warrior. We want to shout that out, Mary. And I wanted to ask you, who are the folks in your life that influenced you to a point that now in this day that you continue to try to help others with what you're doing and what your story is and how do you, how you try to pay that forward in your life now? There's one person in particular. Well, there was, there was my high school French teacher, Barbara Dupre, and she was wonderful. We would meet because her, my, my free period matched her free period. Now she took her free period to talk with me while I wasn't able to really talk about what was going on in my household. She sensed there was something and she was wonderful. But I got to tell you, there was one person. His name is Joe Stets. And he was my camp counselor when I was 11 years old, Badger Day camp. Big shout out to them as well. They're still in existence after all these years. And they're, they're really an all abilities camp. And he wanted me to compete in the end of summer Olympics. And I said, well, I can't do that. And he said, I'll coach you. He actually gave up being an Olympian to become a physician. And he went on to also serve in the military. And anyway, so Joe said, I'm, there are only two other kids who are willing to compete in the butterfly. And if you don't compete, we're not going to be able to have the event. And I looked into his big brown eyes. He was like, I don't know, 20 at the time. And he was six feet. And I said, okay, I'm going to, I'll trust you on this. And I said, but you know, I, he said, I don't want to hear about it. And so he coached me one on one. And he said, now in all likelihood, you'll be last, but that doesn't matter. He said, you swim your own race. I don't care how long it takes you to do the two laps. You will get a medal, a plaque, because you're coming in third and you have the courage to do this. And I've carried him with me in my heart all these years. Something that's just incredible synchronicity is one day I was as a social worker at the VA, we would read the obituaries because you'd want to find out what veterans had passed. There was no internet back then. Anyway, I saw his obituary and I'm like in the Boston Globe. I was like, oh my goodness. And as it turned out, I was a social worker before I went to the VA at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. He was a cardiothoracic surgeon there. So I'm sure that, and talk about goosebumps, I'm sure that our paths had crossed in the cafeteria or somewhere, but, you know, it wasn't on the radar. But anyway, that's a great question. So he, I think when I was diagnosed with post polio syndrome, I would have to say he was the most influential person who reminded me that I had the heart of a champion. He reminded me that I could overcome my physical challenges. And that was such a pivotal experience. So after I was diagnosed with post polio syndrome at first, of course, I was devastated, depressed and anxious. And having been told to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect to age quickly. And then I got still and I asked for for guidance. And I started writing poetry. And the first poem that I wrote was called Running the Race. And in my mind's eye, I was winning at 10k race. And I think the reason, well, as it turned out, that's foreshadowed my 2009 Boston marathon run. But I, why I had myself running and being free in my body, I would have to trace that back to Joe and being free in the water. And yeah, I finished third and he was there. He took my hand, helped me out of the pool and locked me over to the, the medal ceremony. It's incredible how things stick with us that are, they're so momentous that you use it as a guiding light throughout your entire life. Absolutely. And you, especially, I mean, the childhood and the sickness that you suffered and then also losing your dad, I'm guessing there was probably plenty of unfinished business there as well. So there's so many levels of things that you had to climb over to be as successful as you are, which is just such an inspiration. I mean, the more things you talk about, the more you're just like, what? And you still have a smile. And by the way, you look like an ex supermodel. Am I wrong, Buzz? Like saying to you that you're going to, you're going to age quickly. I mean, that obviously didn't happen. And, and, and it must have a combination effect of all the things that you're putting in your mind, choosing to, to live your life like. And music after the diagnosis of post polio syndrome, it was like, cue the music people. Strike up the band, baby. I'm back. We'll be right back with more of the music, save me podcast. Welcome back to the music, save me podcast. Is there something that you understand about yourself now because of music that you, you didn't understand before? So really good question. I would have to say how connected I am to God, the divine source that music has music and poetry, lyrics, if you will, has been that bridge and realizing that I am a very soulful person, that I have a very deep connection to the divine intelligence. And that's, that's how music has really, really saved me because it's just, it goes, it goes beyond the physical, it goes beyond even the mental. And something that, that's really fascinating to me is, are you either of you familiar with Oliver Sacks? Yeah, definitely know the name. Yep. Enlighten me. He's, he's a, he was a neurologist and he has done extensive studies. He even wrote a book called Musicophilia and he, he's done extensive studies. He's done MRI studies. He's done functional MRI studies. But what he wrote about in Musicophilia that I just think is fascinating is that the music from our childhood can actually heal neurological conditions that we experience later in life. And when you listen to the music from your childhood, it can light up that part of the brain and it can help you heal. Jesus, no buzz. That, that does make a lot of sense to me. We had a guest on Not Long Ago who was working with stroke patients overcoming. Brian Harris, right? Yes. Yeah, Brian Harris, past episode who has spent a career working at. Spalding. Spalding, thank you. Spalding, thank you. He started in Spalding with David Storto. That's right with David Storto. Who encouraged him to, to pursue this. And now he's, it's med rhythm and he's actually got a trademark or a pad and whatever it is. And he's using it to help. It's amazing. Isn't it something? I mean, it's. Yes. So, yeah, so Oliver Sacks, I was fascinated too to, it was a PBS special and they hooked a person up to the MRI machine. And when they played music from their childhood, it just went like lit up. But when they played music that they weren't familiar with, nothing happened. So it's just amazing. And I, I have a, I have a turntable and so I still put on my, my. Mary's got two turntables and a microphone. And I've still got my 45. That was another memory. I had a girlfriend and we used to, during summer at thunderstorms, we would sit, of course, it really wasn't smart to sit under a metal awning during a thunderstorm, but anyway. So we would bring out our little turntable and we would play our 45s. So it's just been such an integral part of my life. And then last, what, two weeks ago now we went to New York and we saw a Hamilton. And, oh my God, I, I don't even have words to describe the experience again. There was, there's a piece called Yorktown. Have either of you seen the show? Yes. Oh, okay. I have not. Yes. Oh, but it's, it's powerful. You have to see it. Yeah. And when the song Yorktown came on, I was, I was, I mean, I'd heard it before, but when you hear it live, I was so blown away. And again, it was another moment of, oh my God, my life will never be the same. And it goes on and on and on. And as I said, I'm 72. And, and I think, you know what else? I think one of the things that really helped to prevent this accelerated decline in functioning as I aged was the music I was listening to. I was listening to Dancing Through Life. And, and I decided if I did have to be in a wheelchair, I was going to dance through life. But there was defying gravity. I was listening to Avenue Q and I knew I had to leave my social work career. Yeah. I knew I had to leave my social work career. And I thought, what's my purpose going to be? And there was this song Purpose from Avenue Q. It's also hilarious. I mean, I was just an amazing soundtrack to listen to. And then of course, when I started running, I used all the hype music. And that's how I trained. Because really, if you look at it when you're in a leg brace and you're told you're going to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair, what are the odds you're going to run the Boston Marathon? It's incredible. I mean, you just glaze over that part of your story, which is like the astounding part of all of this too. Can you tell us a little bit about how that happened? Sure. So I had gone through a spalding rehab. I went through outpatient rehab and I had the most phenomenal physical therapist speaking of influencers. Her name is Allison Poole. Big shout out to Allison, who we're still friends with 20 years later. She did not believe I was destined to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. She knew I was dissociated from my body because that's how I survived. And she said we're going to reconnect things. So I started out with her. She was absolutely amazing. I worked with her from January until May until I left the VA. And she was so supportive of me taking this leap of faith into the unknown and starting a poetry career of all things. Not surprising, Mary, but not surprising at all. Amazing. Yes, that's amazing. Yes, so I finished with Allison. Come October, the universe introduced me to a personal trainer. Now, initially our meeting was around being in this business networking international where I was going to promote my New World Greeting Cards original poetry for every occasion where people would tell me about somebody and I'd write a poem in honor of the person. So that was our initial meeting. But she had an in-home personal training business. And I sort of tuned out anything about my business and I said, hey, Jeannie, do you think that you could help me get a little stronger? Maybe we could change up the exercises I got from Spalding. And she's to Henry Ford quote of, if you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. So I started training with her. That was in October of 2007. Come February of 2008, she asked me what my next goals were. And I said, well, maybe I'd like to, oh, and I was a ballerina. So dancing before I contracted polio, that was another amazing movement of music together. So I said, maybe I'd like to dance again. And I really missed feeling that movement and being able to dance. So she's writing everything down. And she said, okay, I'll see you next week. And I said, wait, I have one more goal. And she said, put her things down. Her hand was on the door knob, let him buzz. And I said, I have one more goal. She said, well, what's that? And it came from my soul out of my mouth. And I had no thought process involved. I said, I want to run the Boston Marathon next year for Spalding Rehab. Now, she could have said, Mary, look down on your foot. You're still in your leg brace. I mean, you've made a lot of progress, but jeez, you know, Boston Marathon, that's what she could have said. She didn't say that. She said, you're going to need a pair of running shoes. And so she, I went from never having run a day in my life, coming out of the leg brace, and took seven hours and 49 minutes, but across the finish line of the Boston Marathon. And I will say that music fueled that journey. What did you listen to? Did you listen to music while you were running? Yeah. Yeah. What was the playlist? Oh gosh, of course, Rocky. Oh yeah, of course. Of course, Rocky. One moment in time. This is the moment from Jekyll and Hyde, Define Gravity, lots of Broadway music. You wrote yourself a prescription to finish that race in your ears. Like that's crazy and amazing. Isn't that something? Yeah. In case you had another question for her, I wanted to really quickly ask what you would say to someone who is in the middle of their own hard chapter in life. I mean, just pick one of the things that you've had to overcome. If they haven't found their song yet, what advice would you give them? The first thing I would say is listen to a variety of music. See, is it classical music? Is it rock? Punk? Is it country western? Find something that is going to resonate to your heart and soul. Something you can connect to outside of yourself. Find that song, that group. Find that thing that is really going to make a difference. And let it sing to you. Let it speak to you. Let it open your heart. And I would say, don't give up. Don't give up. Things do get better. It can take a while. You have to be so patient with yourself and the process. And to really fall in love with the process, to fall in love with yourself, to be so compassionate to yourself, and to really know that this is going to be an opportunity for you to discover yourself in a way that you never knew was there. Such great and beautiful advice. Brilliant. I do have one final question from me, Mary. When you witnessed stories of resilience, such as the one that we all saw recently with Lindsey Vaughn in the Olympics, in terms of her competitive spirit and the way that she carried herself and still is carrying herself through that, what thoughts do you have? I admire her so much. And I just think the world of her bravery and her courage, I know how many people were so critical of her for making the attempt. But the thing too is that if you don't do what your heart and soul are telling you to do, you'll never know. And I certainly don't see her fall as a failure. I see it as an amazing testament to her courage and her bravery. And the more people who are willing to share their stories, and she shared a lot of very private scenes when she was going through the surgery and on Instagram, her stories are just amazing. And that's the thing too, Buzz and Lynn, is that we have to share our healing stories. And why I'm so grateful to have all these different opportunities to share mine, to reach different people is that you see somebody going through that. And the comebacks are always stronger than the setbacks. And I know some people bristle at the word inspiration, but I love that word. And I feel that we need, especially in these times, to be inspiring one another, to be sharing our stories, to be taking risks to fail. I had a DNF in, did not finish in Bermuda. I took on the Bermuda 10K. And it was, I had had COVID the month before, and I was debating whether or not I should even give it a go. And I said, I'm going to. And then when I was at the halfway mark, my body literally gave out. I mean, I had nothing left in me. And then I finished the 10K distance a couple of months later on my own. But you've got to try. You've got to- You did it. Yeah. And still. And so, you know, when we see people like Lindsey Vaughn or see somebody like, not that I'm a Lindsey Vaughn, but, you know, the spirit is the same and the courage and the resilience that, you know, I could have easily said, oh, I was sick last month and I could have, you know, racked up all these excuses. And instead I said, no, I'm going to start this thing. Let's see what this body can do. And it could have turned out differently. But when we take the risk and we're willing to fail, it's so important. It really, really is. Yes. So when I see somebody like Lindsey Vaughn and who's at Alice in Felix, she's 40 years old and she is going to be going for the Olympics again. And I just think it's so amazing that there are so many people out there who are saying, well, let's keep doing this. So. Well, Mary, you are amazing. You're right up there with Lindsey Vaughn in my book, I think in Buzz's as well. And I learned some new things from you just now that I wrote down while you were talking the Henry Ford quote. I have been saying that for my whole life, but I didn't know it was Henry Ford about if you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can. Yes. And that is super powerful stuff that is just down to two sentences that you don't really realize until you go through life a little bit. The music saved me community. And thank you for that, by the way. And the other thing was comeback stories are something about setbacks. You said just now. The comeback is always greater than the setback. Yes. That's big. I'm going to put that on a t-shirt. The music saved me community has heard a lot of stories about thousands of stories about their lives and how music has affected them in ways that are beyond. What does it mean to you that your story, there was quite a few people that got a chance to see submissions, not just Buzz and I, but there was like a whole committee and then a lot of listeners got to hear about your story and helped to make it the winning story. So I'm just curious how it makes you feel. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Well, first of all, I have goosebumps. Um, you've been giving them to me the whole show, so it's yours now. So we're, we're, you have any goosebumps going on? No, but I'm, I must say that I'm, I'm so humble. I really am. I'm so humble. I'm so grateful. And you know, I, life was never easy for me from when that's five and a half, right? But the grace, the beauty, the opportunity to have a purpose and a passion now to let people know what's possible despite the most dire circumstances really, that I can be that light. It just, it blows me away. It really does. It makes me feel so good inside and it, it really makes me feel like everything I lived through was worth it to be at this moment in my life. Well, we thank you so much for spending a moment with us, uh, and sharing so much about your life that is so inspirational. And I don't care if people don't like that word because you are an inspiration and, uh, and you continue. How can people find your book and you and what you're doing? Is there a website or any place that they can go to pick up with you? I must give a big shout out to my husband, Tom, who redid my website. So it really showcases my journey. So it's very simple. It's marymcmanus.com. Also, I have seven books. So I have an Amazon author page. The links to everything are there. I'm on Instagram. I'm on Facebook. I'm on LinkedIn. And you know, if anybody's going through a hard time right now and they need some words of encouragement, they can feel free to reach out to me on the social media. And I have my email and I'm always honored and grateful to support people. I was very, very blessed to be featured in a Brookline Tab series about my journey on the road to Boston and polio survivors found me and they said, wait, you mean I don't have to just sit here and wait until I grow old and die. And I said, that's right. And now science has done the research that it's not just my anecdote, but there's a lot about the mymotic connection. So yes, so I'm on social media. I have a website. I have a blog. There's a link to my blog from my website. And I'm actually writing my eighth book now, which is about a recent training cycle on the road to the Hianis 10 K. So and I've been posting my poetry for National Poetry Month. Today marks the end of National Poetry Month. So that's how people can reach me. And I also I have my news and events page. I'll post the link to this, of course, but I go way back to when Buzz and I took our walk around the reservoir on Route 9. So how special. Wow. So you have nothing going on apparently. Yeah. Mary McManus, thank you so much for coming on Music Save Me. And congratulations for being our first winner of our first ever contest. Who knew that you could win something going through the life that you live just the way you lived it. But yeah, because of what you're turning it into and helping so many others, how could we not celebrate you today? Mary. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, Lynn. Thank you. Thank you.
