It's Not About Me

Have you ever had a day when it feels like just being able to continue breathing is your greatest celebration? And then there are other days when you feel like you’re on top of the world? I totally understand both kinds of days. For me, however, most days are just your plain, old, run-of-the-mill days – nothing tragic and nothing exciting. But yesterday, I was reminded of my existence here and how it’s never about what I think it’s about.

As many of you know, I'm training to run my third marathon in January with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. It is an incredible organization that helps to find a cure for blood cancer and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. I love training with my team!

Due to various circumstances, I had to run my long-run alone yesterday. I usually do my long-runs with my TNT team, and we have a great time. The miles just seem to go by quickly when you’re able to talk, laugh and share stories. Yesterday, I spent 12 long miles with just me, myself, and I. For the first part of my run, that’s exactly where my focus was. How fast am I going? How far have I gone? How are my feet holding up? Why am I doing this? I was convinced that the miles were longer than 5,280 feet. I was having a challenging time staying focused on my goal of completing my run, and I started to think of giving up.

That’s when God was able to shift my focus. Little things here and there started to catch my attention, and my heart was filled with joy as I recognized the blessings in my life.

When I ran past a garden the size of my backyard, I was reminded of my mom. Seeing the rows of vegetables and plants brought back memories of helping my mom in our garden. Amidst harvesting strawberries in the hot Texas sun or snapping the ends off of green beans and hoping she wouldn’t make me eat them, my mom taught me about patience, hope and seeing how planting a seed can have amazing results if we just wait faithfully. Thank you, Mom, for teaching me about faithful patience.

My brother, Craig, came to mind when I trotted by my local fire station. No, Craig’s not a firefighter. But I think he secretly has aspirations to be one. The reason I think this is because he has a go-cart that he has transformed into a fire truck with a real water hose. It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! He enters it into city parades so that he can entertain all the kids along the parade route. And if you know my brother, you know he was born to give. As I passed by the fire station, I was reminded of Craig’s generosity. He has taught me to spend time with people and put my to-do list aside. Thank you, Big Brother!

As I continued on my path, I saw two beautiful German shepherds playing together. It reminded me of all my relationships and how thankful I am to have people in my life like:

• Chris, who laughs at all my jokes and shows me unconditional love every day,
• Mike and Hope, who have been by my side for the good, bad, and the ugly and still let me come play Guitar Hero with them,
• Monica, who helps me to remember that life is about living,
• my teacher friends, who share my passion of changing kids’ lives,
• my students, who teach me more every day than I will ever teach them in a year, and
• my running buddies, who are committed to finding a cure by running to save lives.
  
  

As my run was nearing the end, I saw a flag gently blowing in the wind. It nearly took my breath away as I remembered my dad. That flag symbolized a life lived with integrity, honor, loyalty and love. I wish I could have had more time with my sweet daddy, but God had other plans. Even though my dad lost his battle with cancer after a tremendous fight, I KNOW I will see my dad again one day. But while I’m here on this earth, I will forever live out his favorite phrase, “Keep on keepin’ on.” Thank you, Dad, for teaching me perseverance and exemplifying courage.

So, I did finish my solo twelve-mile run with a heart full of blessings, love and appreciation. I remembered why I run. It’s about helping others. It’s about saving lives. It’s about doing something so much bigger than me and giving God all the credit and honor. And I’m so very glad it’s not about me!

If you’d like to help kick cancer in the asphalt, please consider giving to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My deadline is approaching, and I’d love your help to reach my fundraising goal before my next marathon in January.