"Remember Your Reasons"
Today I am grateful for another good marathon experience and that Darcy and I both finished in a healthy state. Tired, but healthy. I am also grateful for the great Twin Cities Marathon spectators lining many miles of the course.
A special thanks to my co-workers Dick, Pete, and Kelly who I saw out on the course. Familiar faces on the sidelines mean so much over the miles of a marathon.
There were many spectators with many signs, but the one I ended up appreciating the most was in the latter miles of the run. I was running along Summit Avenue heading toward the finish at the State Capitol, somewhere around mile 23. The sign had just these three short words: "Remember your reasons." I thanked the sign holder as I ran past and said that was a perfect sign for that point on the course.
Exhausted. In pain. Just wanting to be done so I could rest a little. This was just the reminder I needed to help me dig a little deeper and keep going.
"Remember your reasons." Running in memory of Carli. Running for all those struggling with mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it. Running for my sister Leonice and others currently undergoing cancer treatment. Running for those taken by cancer. Running for health. Running gratefully.
Always running gratefully. Grateful that Darcy was able to run and finish after missing out on last year's marathon with a bout of pneumonia. Grateful that cancer didn't keep me from running this Twin Cities Marathon, like it did in 2008. Grateful to be able to keep doing this at age 52 and with my husband as a training partner.
I shared that gratitude throughout the 26.2 journey, thanking as many volunteers and course support personnel as I could along the way. Sharing that gratitude gave me more energy back than it took to share, even in the last few miles.
That's how it works. Living gratefully and giving gratitude to others returns some of that energy right back to the giver. We all win when sharing gratitude genuinely.
I appreciate all the opportunities I had to do just that yesterday.
A special thanks to my co-workers Dick, Pete, and Kelly who I saw out on the course. Familiar faces on the sidelines mean so much over the miles of a marathon.
There were many spectators with many signs, but the one I ended up appreciating the most was in the latter miles of the run. I was running along Summit Avenue heading toward the finish at the State Capitol, somewhere around mile 23. The sign had just these three short words: "Remember your reasons." I thanked the sign holder as I ran past and said that was a perfect sign for that point on the course.
Exhausted. In pain. Just wanting to be done so I could rest a little. This was just the reminder I needed to help me dig a little deeper and keep going.
"Remember your reasons." Running in memory of Carli. Running for all those struggling with mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it. Running for my sister Leonice and others currently undergoing cancer treatment. Running for those taken by cancer. Running for health. Running gratefully.
Always running gratefully. Grateful that Darcy was able to run and finish after missing out on last year's marathon with a bout of pneumonia. Grateful that cancer didn't keep me from running this Twin Cities Marathon, like it did in 2008. Grateful to be able to keep doing this at age 52 and with my husband as a training partner.
I shared that gratitude throughout the 26.2 journey, thanking as many volunteers and course support personnel as I could along the way. Sharing that gratitude gave me more energy back than it took to share, even in the last few miles.
That's how it works. Living gratefully and giving gratitude to others returns some of that energy right back to the giver. We all win when sharing gratitude genuinely.
I appreciate all the opportunities I had to do just that yesterday.
What a great thought”Remember your reasons.” I will think on this and see where it takes me.
ReplyDelete"Remember you reasons?' powerful.
ReplyDeleteThis has been good for me to keep coming back to in a full and frenetic week.
ReplyDelete