The other day I caught up with an old friend. When it was my turn to talk about the news in my life I found myself speaking mostly about my running and triathlon training. Lately that has died down a bit...though I'm working to pick it back up again.
When I finally finished my ten minute long exclamation about running she said "wow. This has been life changing hasn't it."
Yes.
I have no doubt in ten years when I look back at my life I will include this (along with the births of my children, my wedding, my college years, Will's Celiac diagnosis, and the death of my grandpa) as life-changing.
Here is why:
I find myself saying no to things I haven't had strength to before. Like Diet Coke. Like negative thoughts in my head. Like staying in grungy clothes all day.
I find myself saying yes to things I haven't had strength to do before. Like 5ks and triathlons. Like being in pictures. Like talking to strangers without worrying about how I look. Like volunteering at a hospital with people who are dying.
Finding a power I didn't think I have has helped me find power in everything else.
And it's not that I'm power hungry...it's something other than that. It's wanting to take this strength and spread it around.
It's dying to allow myself to live slow. To ride my bike more with the kids strapped in the back. To craft the things I want for the people I love. To spend time, not money.
It's wanting to be strong enough to say "no" to all the little purchases and paying off the god-awful debt so money can go further, later.
It's wanting to be brave enough to saying "yes" to my Mom's offer to join her in Kenya next year for a humanitarian project even though I know once I go there, I won't be able to turn back to life as I know it now.
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you're maybe going to kenya on a humanitarian project? i'm soooo jealous. i'd love to do something like that. rob gets to do all these cool medical missions (dominican republic, china, bangladesh and now the philippines) and i've done zilch. i agree about it being life changing, though. i can't imagine how it wouldn't be. i want to know more about it.
way to go about the exercising. i'm trying to work up the energy to start again. i haven't done anything since mt. fuji three weeks ago. but YOU did it. you started again after a respite. keep it up!
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