Some of the days this past week or so have been very foggy in the mornings. Some of those days have been really tough to see. You keep moving forward, and it clears as you go. You just may have to slow it down a little. Mmmm….sounds like what a lot of us should be doing every day. We go and go like nothing is blocking our view, yet that may be the times when we really are not looking either. Look at what is ahead of us and keep going. The path, or plan, actually comes more into focus as we go.
Sometimes we don’t always know where the path in our life is going to take us. We can’t look too far ahead, or we will miss many things right in front of us. You have to keep in mind that by slowing it down, we can appreciate more the things we may take for granted. It gives it a completely different way of looking at things.
Quite a few of the mornings this week the pelicans will be out at Forsberg Park. Just gathered all together. Taking it easy. Not a care in the world. We could learn a lot from Pelicans. They are also pretty cool watching as well!
So, take a deep breath. Look beyond the fog. What is really going on? What is it you may be missing? What are those things right in front of you that you are not paying attention too? Appreciate each day, and take it all in. You can’t look too far ahead, or you will miss the moment you are in right now.
Spend time with friends. Spend time with family. Look at what is in front of you now, not beyond. Take each day for what it is. A new day to experience new things. You never know what you may actually see! Look beyond the fog! Keep moving everybody!
Over the years, you make lots of decisions. Some good. Some bad. Nothing is always perfect or goes the way you always want it to. But that is how you learn, and grow, as well. Many times, our expectations don’t always match with reality. Our wedding anniversary is in October, and it will be number 32. Sometimes, expectations don’t come close to reality. I expected our marriage to be great, but reality has even surpassed that. It is better than I thought it could be! And we are still both running. Many things change over time. Now, many things about our running have changed over time. We can’t do the same number of miles that we used to do. We don’t run as fast as we used to. I know someone else who can relate to this.
Tom and I have been training partners for many years. We have logged countless miles over the years. Our speed has definitely gotten slower over the years. And that is ok. We have our memories. We have our times. We achieved many of our goals. Tom will always have the fact that he qualified for the Boston Marathon and ran at Boston too. Not many of us can say that! But we are still out there, pounding the pavement.
Just like for Tom, there is never any quit in Sarah and me as well. We keep going with the flow and do what we can. Adventures still keep coming. Reality keeps us grounded, but that does not mean we still can’t have expectations of how we would like to do. Over time, you learn to not set your expectations so high. Right now, for many of our races, time is really not an issue. At least time is not as critical as we once thought it was when running a race. We have had our personal records. Nobody can take that away from us. Now we are creating new records of sort. Participating is the goal. Running has helped us see many different places, and we plan on continuing this as well.
We may be getting older, but that does not mean we still don’t have that competitive drive. We just set new goals and compete more within our own age divisions. In about 3 weeks I am going to be participating in my first Senior Games, and they are here in Watertown. Will see how that goes. I have to admit, it is kind of exciting to think about competing in different events, and have it age related. Motivation comes from within. Once you give up on things, your life becomes boring. There is a quote by Abraham Lincoln: “I am reserving that rocking chair for when I get old enough.” How old is old enough? Age is just a number. Expectations are still there; we just need to keep reality in mind. The only constant in life is that there is change. Things may not turn out how we expect them to, but they really do occur for a reason. We just may not understand those reasons at the time. Eventually we come to an understanding. I have to admit after my health issues 3 years ago, I definitely pay a lot more attention to my surroundings. I pay attention more to the little things in life. My expectation what that I had a lot of time to pay attention to those things, but the reality told me otherwise. Live each day to the fullest. Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. None of us want to have regrets! The little things really are the big things!
Open your minds to what is in front of you. Look at things differently. The bottom line is no two days are the same. They all have their uniqueness to them. Enjoy them all.
Each day is a chance to see something else. To experience something else. To enjoy something else.
Your someday is today! Bring it on! Expectations are what you think it may be, and reality is how it really is. Turn those expectations into reality. If you don’t try, you will never know what you can do. Age is a number. I have a patient now who is 100 years old. When she was 89 years old, she climbed to the top of Harney Peak (Now Black Elk Peak) in the Black Hills. For those of you who have done it, you know this is very vigorous. It can take 3 1/2 – 4 hours to go up, and back down. The kicker in all of this is she said she would have gotten done sooner if she did not have to wait for her 2 50-year-old nephews to keep up! That is what I want to do. Make your expectations become reality. Accomplish those things you want to. If may not always be as fast, or completed the way you thought, but don’t give up. This is what makes life fun! Keep moving everybody!
We got to spend the last 3 days with our grandson Connor, who turned one last month. What a great weekend. The kid just makes you bust out laughing all of the time. That chocolate chip cookie all over his face was the greatest thing! He is now on the move as well! We went walking with him, running with him, and took him to the Zoo on Friday.
We had to stop several times so he could stretch! He must have been getting a cramp sitting there! (Ha!) The Zoo was great! He was chatting it up the whole time we were there.
The stroller definitely got a workout this weekend running too. It must have worn him out too with all that sitting, because he had some great naps, and slept all night each night too! Now that really is a good kid!
Of course, Dakota was right there with us all of the time too. The family that runs together, stays together!
It was a great weekend! Laughing, playing, and spending time together. I can’t believe how fast he is growing. It was a great grandparent weekend, and hopefully there will be lots more. He recognizes us right away too. I want my grandkids to know who we are. They are going to have fun with us as they grow up. We want to be around for a long time so we can spend lots of time with them. Stay healthy and keep moving. Those grandkids want to spend time with us! Keep moving everybody!
As a parent, you do anything you can for your kids. They are growing, and they have to make decisions in their life. Nick now has a new job near Minneapolis. He is going to be helping set up Running Road Races in Minnesota–Minnesota Run Series. It sounds like a really fun job. I help set up numerous races here in town, but never get paid for it! Ha! So, this weekend we had to move him from his place in SF (which we just moved him into at the end of May!) to Minneapolis. Talk about fun hauling a U-haul through the traffic in Minneapolis! It was pouring out as we drove in but quit in time to get him unloaded. He has quite the view from the top of the apartment building he is living in, which all of the tenants have access to.
A whole two blocks from the Vikings home stadium, US Bank! I now have a closer place to stay when I can make it to a Vikings game!
It is only fitting that he should be working for a running organization when he has been running his whole life. He should be able to fit right in.
Nick and his girlfriend Hannah will have to figure out how a relationship will work by distance. I don’t think they will have any issues! They are both in a new adventure and will have to see what life brings them. Just like all of us! It takes courage to take on something new, and somewhere else. It was just like my daughter Megan when she went off to Virginia for school. She lived there 7 years, and then moved back to Watertown after figuring out bigger does not always mean better. Time will tell…
When it comes to family, we always are there to lend support, and help in general. Sometimes you have to just sit back and let them leave the nest and fly on their own. That does not mean it is easy as a parent. We all need to strive to survive, and do what is best for ourselves as individuals, and what we want to do when we grow up. Just don’t forget about family! They should always be there when needed! Keep moving everybody!
Last Sunday my grandson turned one! We had a great time at his party. The kid is always smiling and happy. Living out on the farm with his mom and dad, and his other set of grandparents, Connor will definitely have farmer in his future plans!
He is already trying to get used to wearing his John Deere hat on a regular basis!
We gave him a car for his birthday, and he already loves riding around in it. Aunt Suzie gave him a stuffed cow toy, and it quickly became his favorite. If you look closely at this picture, you can see the cow riding shotgun with him in his car!
Connor even got his John Deere decorated cake to eat by himself. Boy did he have a good time with his cake!
It was hilarious watching him dive into his cake. He even had to take turns feeding us!
Well one thing is for sure, this little guy is definitely loved!
It may have been Connor’s birthday, but it might be tough to say who had more fun, him, or the rest of us! Take the time to spend doing the things that are really important. Time goes fast. He is already one! This is why we strive to survive. This is why we need to keep working on our own health, both exercise and diet. We need to be around more for the moments that really count. Keep moving everybody!
