Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it--Dalai Lama

This is fitting for the news I received.
Shari, Brian's mom, my friend, and sometimes I don't know how to refer to her, since she is amazing and a presence in my life. Not only because of Brian, but because of her essence and awesomeness.
She supports me and my endeavors. If she doesn't agree with them, she doesn't let on. She lets me, be me. Thankfully, we travel well together. Each year, we celebrate the anniversary of Brian's passing, in style, like he would want us to do.
Saying that, I told her about my marathon training.
Instead of just writing me a check, she thought about how she could contribute, too. She decided to donate her services. She did chair massage and hosted a garage sale. Shari is now a certified massage therapist. She graduated in May.
I believe that 1/4 of my fundraising got raised by her and her efforts. She said that she met several people that told her stories of loved ones that had Leukemia or Lymphoma. I think anytime you give back to the community, you get back 1000% from the experience. I wish that I were there to meet these people as well.
Her nieces, Hannah and Kellen, also helped with the garage sale. They are young girls that I enjoy. They are my pen pals and a pleasure to be around. They aren't normal kids. They are polite, friendly and responsible. They sold some of their items to help raise money, too. They learned about the importance of presentation and assisted in keeping track of the money too.
So, while I am out training, learning how to adequately run, they are aiding my fundraising efforts. I am so fortunate to have them in my life.
And, I agree with her and with this quote. This way, she too, is successful and she wanted to do it. She is coming out in October to see me cross the finish line. I cannot wait! I owe her a huge hug and a steak dinner in Santa Fe, or Elway's....
It is funny how success is viewed. We give accolades to people that succeed in business, but fail in every other aspect of life. What is success? I think the Dalai Lama had it right.