running used to be my passion. i lived to run. more than anything, i wanted to run. but it is more than just a passion, it's a gift. running made me the person that i am and helped me with a lot of struggles. there are a lot of great things about running: it makes you strong, it teaches you determination and hard work, it's a great way to make amazing friends, it gives you a chance to be by yourself and just think, it doesn't require a lot of coordination and you can do it all your life. at least, you hope you can do it all your life. i remember sometimes i would be injured and i thought my life was ending. if i couldn't finish a season or couldn't run my best, i was just torn apart. several times, i thought that if there was some reason that i could never run again, i would rather die. not being able to run would be the hardest thing for me to live through. well, i went to college and i didn't run all the time. i didn't take the time to go out and do the thing i loved.
so i'm here, with reed, and i'm reading a book about him and i learned that reed was a really great runner. he loved to run more than anything. then, when he was 17, he was in a car accident and could no longer run. it was like i was reading my worst nightmare. he just woke up in the hospital and realized that he couldn't do that one thing that he loved so much.
i realized that i take running for granted. i've been given this great gift. i can go out and make my body strong and clear my mind and feel good about myself and i don't even use it. it's not fair that i can run and reed can't because i know he would if he could. so i made myself a promise to run every day. those days when i really don't want to get out of bed i just remind myself that some people can't get out of bed and then i run. i run for reed.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" - Pre
This is a great post. It's a significant milestone in one's life to realize that something (everything, actually) is a gift, and we can use it, or lose it in an instant. Those gifts are precious. Use your gift (sensibly... as in "everyday" might not be the best idea, but 4-5 times per week is great), and enjoy it. I have a feeling your joy will increase and flow over to everyone around you. And that's a gift you give.
ReplyDeleteThanks Uncle Lloyd. That was actually what I needed to hear. Love you lots! *SMURF*
ReplyDeleteThey do it because they want to be skinny, or because it's the cool thing to do. Even if you can't run as far and long as you'd like to yet, the fact that you understand what running is really about puts you miles above where you are physically. I love you so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks jame! Love you too! thanks for helping me keep going. you're amazing :)
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