Run Like You're a Kid Again

Remember when you were a kid, and sometimes you would just take off running because you could? Maybe it wasn't very far or very fast, but there was something freeing in just taking off. You would run around with your friends, playing. Running was a fun part of every day in some way.  While I certainly don't always feel that freedom when I'm doing a long run, part of that is what keeps me running. It's also my time to reflect on what's happening in life - both the good and the bad.

This past weekend one of my dearest friends lost her husband to cancer.  She and her family are devastated, and as I've watched her family go through this battle, it's helped me put everything in perspective over and over again.  Sometimes the things that seem so important - something at work, someone you're annoyed with, some task you have to accomplish - seem so insignificant when someone is fighting for their life. She and her family have handled this illness head on and never stopped fighting. All through it I have continued to reflect on how life is too short to worry about the stupid stuff. As cliche as it sounds, this is why we have to take advantage of every opportunity. Book a trip. Register for a new race. Challenge yourself in whatever you are doing and whatever is important to you.


As we celebrate his life this week, take a minute to say a prayer for my friend and her family. And in whatever you're doing, run like you are a kid again.