This afternoon I took a much-needed hour for myself and went running on the shady, autumn-leafed greenway near our house. As I ran, I began to notice messages along the path, written in children's writing with sidewalk chalk. GO GO GO. Go Bryan! Cool! You Can Do It!! You're Awesome! Run Fast!
At first it just made me smile, but then I started to feel like I had my own personal cheerleading section and I felt inspired to push on a little further than I'd planned. I saw a couple of messages that said 40 B4 40! and began to picture this Bryan in my head...a neighborhood Dad type of guy, coming up on the big 4-0, and setting some goals for himself. 40 miles? 40 races? 40 hours on the trail? I realized I could squeeze in 40 miles before age 40 if I did another half marathon and then a full marathon. I began to wonder, and to put "Flori" in wherever I read Bryan's name. (Go Flori!)
All this wondering about "Bryan" and I started to realize that life is good and people are good and all the little things that annoy me and frustrate me are not my LIFE, they're just little annoying things and they will pass. In the midst of all these thoughts, I saw a runner coming toward me. A dad-type of guy who was actually just how I'd imagined Bryan. I felt weirdly happy. And then I noticed that this man only had one arm--the other was off above his elbow. But he was just trucking along, enjoying the beautiful fall day like I was.
It really made me think. Not "Oh, my life could be so much worse..." but "my life could be so different". But it's not. This is the life I have right now and there are so many good things about it. There is so much I can do and enjoy, even if we can't manage to sell our house.
The last message on the trail said, VICTORY!!! Thank you, fellow travelers, for lighting my path today.
Shuffling
5 years ago
3 comments:
Flo, I know how you feel. I was biking up the hard hill from Carrie's triathlon last month, and on the road every 50 yards or so were written messages like "go bikers!", "almost there" and "final stretch". It totally pumped me up and gave me the energy to get to the top.
Oh and then at the top I met this guy named Bryan with one arm who said he had just turned 40. But I think he said he spells his name with a Y so I doubt it was the same guy.
In the St. George marathon there was a sign that quoted scripture in saying "liken the [signs] unto yourselves".
Speaking of St. George... I'll run it with you next October so you can get your miles in :)
You are amazing Flori. I think that you have so many talents and goals. You are a Bryan for me. Go Flori By the way thank you for letting me have Rob for a whole week. That was my favorite part of the trip. Love Mom
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