You’re Almost There
The first words out of my mouth that morning were “I don’t want to”
& at that moment, I really, REALLY didn’t.
It was cold outside and the weather peeps predicted a rainy a.m.
& the very last thing I wanted to do was walk 13.1 miles
THIRTEEN POINT ONE MILES
in the chilly, damp, yucky yuck.
ugh.
Sister halfheartedly agreed but, Sister tends to be a bit more enthusiastic about things so she insisted BRIGHT SIDE.
YaY Bright Side.
ugh
That’s when I saw Niece.
Perky, smiling, it’s going to be a GREAT DAY Niece
& I knew there was no turning back
& it’s not like me to not want to walk.
I LOVE to walk
& we had accomplished this half marathon before, we knew we could do it.
In fact, the Indy Mini has become a yearly event for us, something we enjoy and look forward to …
but, but, but….
but, the last few weeks of this life of mine have been so incredibly busy
and and and
and in my mind at least, I was nowhere near prepared.
you see you see you see
EXCUSES
Bottom line.
I doubted.
I doubted me.
I doubted them.
oh shame
& so, we went
& I knew in an instant, rain or shine, this was going to be a most awesome day.
Happy Land.
There is no other way to describe
& if you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing the pure joy of it all, I insist, you MUST !!
because the positive energy surrounding a marathon is like no other.
The best part of the day was before the race even started.
People and people and more people walking and laughing and chatting and talking and finding their way to where they were going when all of a sudden, as if it occurred to us in exact, precise unison, we stopped.
STOP.
Our National Anthem was being sung by a lovely voice in the distance
& everything and everyone just STOPPED.
pin drop
Yeah.
It was amazing.
Then there was Santa Claus, all dressed up and jolly and ready to step
& as we began this long walk of ours ?
Yeah.
Oh Yeah.
The Jesus high fivers.
The bag pipe guy
The cloggers, polka boys, square dancers
& band after band after band, volunteering their precious time to keep us participants entertained and motivated.
Walking through the neighborhoods is my favorite.
Families and kids with pots and pans and any kind of noisemaker you can think of sitting in their front yards cheering for these crazy strangers who insist upon running the run and walking the walk.
The Diana Ross lookalike ?
We look forward to her beautiful sparkle because at that point in this ever so tedious trek her brightness elevates
& we realize …
Oh Yes.
Yes we can.
The guy on the unicycle ?
I adore you.
Because of your smile
& because you are riding a unicycle !! & how cool is that ?!??
& just when we think this 13.1 will never, ever, EVER end there is the man before the bridge.
Every year.
Every time.
“You’re almost there. You’re almost there.”
He doesn’t know this but, I love him so.
People.
Oh people.
Your simple acts, your genuineness, your sincerity.
WoW.
Yep.
I doubted me, I doubted them on that dismal looking Saturday morning but I promise, it’ll never happen again because we walked 13.1 miles on a grab those sunglasses, perfectly perfect day of sunshine and it was absolutely fabulous.
Thanks Sister.
Thanks Niece.
Thanks Kindness.
🙂
