I had a great weekend that included lots of laughs and hot dogs; the true makings of heartburn. But before I run for the Tums, it’s important to remember something important as we frolicked through the first unofficial day of summer. Looking at this photo, it’s a little reminder to be thankful for the people who tried to make it better for all of us. We would have nothing if not for the heroes that made it all possible. Thank You.
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It's all worth it for a kiss from this guy!With three weekends to go before the kids race, life is 24/7 Go Far. I spent hours today figuring out how many pieces of Legos I needed to create 84 trophies. I was bleary eyed counting little nubbins on the prototype model and comparing it with the nubbins on the computer, all to be sure I was ordering the correct pieces. It will be a miracle if I ordered all of the approximately 3000 pieces correctly. I often marvel at how Lego manages to get all of the correct pieces in the box without missing one. God must work there. This has been the year of the Lego at Go Far. Because of the tiny lego pieces we use as rewards, the kids at Lyman School have covered nearly 4000 miles so far all on a field above the school. The kids have worn a dirt path into what was once a green field. In the name of good health, there is no end to the crazy get-ups I have donned just to squeeze a couple of extra mile out of kids. I now know that super hero type costumes are truly uncomfortable and are nearly impossible to run in let alone fly. Never could I have imagined that I would dress as a Lego minifigure, Santa, Darth Vader, or Tom Turkey just to get kids to run and be healthy. Michelle Obama, I would like to see you do that!
Sometimes life becomes so routine you forget to notice what is interesting about it in the first place. I’ll be the first to admit that I like routine. I like doing the same boring running route, I like to eat the same types of foods, I always wear the same type of running shoes and I always pick the same flavor ice cream at the Dairy Serve. Boring, that’s me and I’m ok with that. The danger in having a dull routine is that it can become just that. So how do you turn life into a sleeper hit? Just reverse the game plan. I have been hiking this same route for what seems like forever. It never seems boring to me because I have a good friend to chat with as I skip from stone to stone. The other day, in monumental fashion we went wild and crazy and reversed the direction from counter-clockwise to clockwise. Just like the gps in the car, when we changed direction, our brains chanted out the message, "recalculating". Because of our slight change, we came across this really cool graffiti. It may have been there for years or just a week for all we knew, but until now it had never caught our attention. Moral of the story is that it doesn’t hurt to change it up every now and then. You never know what treasure may be hiding right before your very eyes or how you could see things in a whole new way.
The process of watching a boy become a man is an interesting one. I watched 4 boys grow into manhood in my childhood home; so watching it happen to Peter shouldn’t be a novel experience. Yesterday, he asked me to bring him to the track to run some miles after school. Coming back from Zumba with six girls, Peter jumps into the car as we head to the track. They all shriek like they have never seen a boy before. Somehow he manages to claim the front seat while all the girls are squished in the back, because no one wants to sit next to a boy. He smiles because somehow, he knows he has some power over them. He isn’t sure how or why, but he knows something about his presence affects them. And so it begins, my boy doesn’t realize it but he is becoming a man. We get to the track. The girls split into little groups and meander a comfortable pace as Peter runs laps like there is no tomorrow. He realizes that they are watching him. I know him well enough to notice his extra effort and knowingly ask him what made him run so fast today? He shrugs the look of, “ I don’t know”, while to me it seems as clear as a bell. It’s good to see him put his talents to good use to impress the ladies rather than act destructive or jerky in general to get them to look his way. He has tried to do it legitimately. Perhaps we can call it a noble effort. It just makes me realize one thing for sure. It’s going to be a long and interesting road through adolescence.
This video seems to have become required reading these day if you play around on Youtube. A dad rips up a rejection letter and the baby cracks up. Seems that somehow this baby turned a very serious situation into hysterics. Everyone should have that great an attitude. To all things serious, there is always a lighter side. Just look at this picture of the kids. To achieve real seriousness , all you need is a good mustache. Have you ever noticed that the more serious a person looks, they become more funny looking? Most of Saturday was spent moving earth. I spent a good part of it griping at my husband over why he had decided to dump 50 tarpfulls of leaves in the garden this past fall. In October, the pile reached well up to our belly buttons. His wishful thinking made him believe this would all be good “soil” by spring. After refilling the tarps and dragging our sorry sacks of leaves back into the woods, we cheered as we saw the hardened soil of the garden once again. We tilled and toiled until the lush soil just seemed to beg for some seeds. Something about gardening makes you feel at ease despite the efforts. In our yard, you’ll hear the occasional neighs from the horses, sounds of ruffling maple trees and the clamor of the kids on a swing. By now, green has once again become the prominent color everywhere the eye can see. It's a relief after the long winter. As Chris tugs the meadow grass from the corner of the garden he tells me that he never wants to leave this spot. I guess were not moving I think to myself. Fleece will permanently become part of my wardrobe. But I look up and see high grass rippling in the wind and I can’t help but agree with him. We head back into the old antique lady that we call home and plan out next date in the garden for Monday. Once again we’ll discuss how peppers like to hold hands and we’ll sound just like an old married couple. Perhaps all of this is why I have chosen this picture for today.
As we all waited for the end of the world yesterday, a friend felt her world crashing in. I have mentioned here before that while some meander through life in a certain amount of bliss, others have mind blowing pain to contend with. For this reason, nothing is more important than having compassion. The circumstances that brought on this pain are usually no different than our own, that’s why our hearts join in their pain with them. In the big scheme of things there is no us and them because together we feel loss and grief. In a small town, you can feel like your under a microscope with no city buildings to hide in the shadows of. It is hard to hide from affliction. Call us your family, one that can protect and cherish yours when you need it most. Let us absorb your pain so you can feel less of it. Compassion will see you through.
The end of the world has come and gone. It’s a good thing I got a run in beforehand. When I came home, three children were geared up for Armageddon and I caught what may have been my last photographs. Fortunately, today's miracle comes in the fact that the good earth seems to be willing to put up with us for a while longer. Thank goodness, because I ran a new trail today and I would really like to do it again. The kids really did have a twinge of fear that this could really be it. I promised them that if we survived, we could have ice cream and their fear turned into anticipation. It looks like tomorrow will bring another sunrise, and for that, I am very thankful. Good thing life was back to business as usual within minutes of Armageddon. Despite the incessant rain, I feel positive about what is happening. Yesterday, I watched the first track meet at Coginchaug's new track in Durham. It has been a very long 10 years since the kids could have events held on the track. Despite the fact that my kids don’t attend the high school yet, I feel like we can all be proud of this great facility and the future it holds for our kids. I know that when my Go Far kids are ready, this track will be their home. I have seen kids run countless circles around their school-yard in preparation for the time when this track welcomes them. It’s a place that will pave the way to continued health and to many personal victories. It inspires me to continue Go Far despite the amount of work that goes into it. Yesterday, Peter and I watched a local track star run like there were wings on his feet turning corners in a seemingly effortless way. I could envision many of our younger runners doing the same as they grow into their Nikes and Asics. I'll proudly watch them from the grand stands. As said in the great movie, Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come”. The Go Far kids are coming of age and with a resounding YES… they will come! Those that voted yes in Durham and Middlefield to build this track years ago, should stand proud. They have helped build a better future for all of us one step at at a time.
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July 2018
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