Glimpses of Grace

did i tell you i took up running? no kidding. i completely suck at it, but i love it like bsc loves being cynical.

i've always kinda craved running, which makes no sense at all. everytime i see someone running down the street, i want to pull over and clap and scream "HOORAY! good for you! keep running!" i want to buy them things and be their friend.

now let's be clear. i'm not athletic. at all. i guess i'm not NOT athletic, in that i'm not opposed to it in any way, i just haven't ever BEEN it. but randomly i decided to just try. i've always secretly (because it sounds severely schizophrenic to say outloud) that i'm a runner deep down. very deep down, but a runner nonetheless.

also, there are few things i love more than the word nonetheless

so i've been trying to run. i never thought i'd have to LEARN how to run...because everyone can just run, right? but it really is learning. and let me tell you, it's harder than i imagined. my first time out i ran a total of like one minute, and i was DONE. i just whimped right out and walked the rest of the twopointfive miles.

i've gradually been able to increase it though. for example, two days ago i ran one half of a mile. and that's not a big deal to any of you, but BOY OH BOY!!! i was stoked. okay, i ran half a mile, that's true. i did it in two quarter mile segments, with one quarter mile walk in bettween. details details. it was still a big huge deal for me.

so, i'm supposed to be training (which seems ridiculous in and of itself for ME to say...) for a 5k run this fall. i can't imagine myself making it that far...running a 5k? me? seems impossible.

but so did a half mile...even divided.

all of a sudden i feel like there should be a moral to my story, or some sort of charge to my readers...well here it is.

if i can run two quarter miles, you can certainly do that thing you've always wanted to do but thought you couldn't. here's a quote that i like. it's famous i'm sure. i first saw it in that cute movie "akeelah and the bee"

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us -- it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. -Marianne Williamson