The first one is my sister in law. She had a younger sister that passed away shortly after her 18th birthday. Becky was very special, she had a degenerative muscle condition. She was blind and physically and mentally challenged. On my nephews first birthday Michelle told me she would always make a huge deal out of her kids birthdays. Her sister had one birthday before she got sick, and was never whole again.
Michelle and my brother Kelly, November 2014
Cameron is 26 (and expecting his first baby) and I have remembered this my whole life. I like to celebrate people, but I have started recently taking it to an even greater level.
The second was on our vacation to Chicago a couple weeks ago. Steve had run a 100 mile race in Texas and another runner had been at the same race and friended him on facebook. I'm kind of iffy on Steve being friends with people he (I) don't know on facebook, (and that is my issue) but other ultra runners in other towns typically don't bother me. When we were planning our trip to Chicago, Steve contacted Alfredo and asked to run a long run through Chicago while we were there. Unfortunately, Alfredo was diagnosed with ALS in January. He went from running 75 miles in October, had to drop when his muscles gave out and he literally couldn't control them to keep running, to a cane to a walker and barely able to maneuver in his own home.
We spent an evening with him. Steve sat with him on the couch and they talked running. And Alfredo misses running. He spends a couple hours a day in meditation, and when he meditates, he goes to the trails and the mountains in his head. He said this helps him get through every day.
I don't like to be morbid and worry about the future. But on the other side of that, I don't think it's a bad idea to live every moment, enjoy every moment, celebrate every moment.
I'm making a bigger deal of birthdays. I'm making a point of making the people in my life know they are appreciated and special.
And I will enjoy every step I get to run. Every painful step of a marathon. Every painful minute of a track workout with my crazy trainer.
Love hard. Enjoy everything as much as possible.
LOVE THIS!!!!!
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