Many people remember certain dates: Birthdays, anniversaries, dates they graduated college . . . You get the picture.

I remember factoids: The place I went on my first date with my husband, how my first run since high school felt, first book I read to my first child (“Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Boardain.)

But March 12, 2014, will be a date etched forever in my brain. It is the date, I had confirmation of what I already knew: I have a long way to go to get to where I need to be.

So I’ve run more, watched my diet more, used meditation and yoga more to calm my nerves.

The sad fact is, March 12, 2014, opened my eyes more than I thought it would. When I run, the hazy becomes clear.

And the clarity hurts. Change is very hard. Listening to negativity is normal, easy, when you’ve surrounded yourself with it since your youth. Embracing the positive is a major undertaking.

But I am finally up to that challenge. I am ready to tackle this , and I feel different. My mind is unwavering. I know I have to be strong so my family can be strong. My daughter will not carry the curse of so many women before me. She will be strong, independent, and comfortable in her own skin.

Now to begin rewriting my family history.

Now it’s time to suck it up and do what needs to be done.