Fall in Love Again

I fell in love with running back in 2001.  This is when my mother first came down with cancer (which she beat). I read that it was a good way to relieve stress, and since I wasn’t dating anyone, I needed a great way to get rid of stress. I ran around my then neighborhood, up and down hills. And that was it, I was in love.

I loved the way running made my body feel. I loved the challenge, I loved pushing myself, feeling what my body could do, when I pushed it past the point where it thought it could go. I loved how good my body felt afterward, and how the exercise affected me.

And I loved the runner high I got. This was only me time. Intimate, I listened to my body telling me what it needed and how far it could go, how much I could push. It was listening to my own breathing,and rhythm. In my mind nothing else existed but the rhythm of my own breath.

And since 2001, I have run on and off, each time rediscovering the beauty of running and all that wonderful intimate time with myself. And here it is, 17 years later, and I still love to run.  I haven’t done it seriously in about 2.5 years. I recently started back again ad have fallen in love all over again.  rediscovering the wonder and drive of the run.  Pushing myself to go harder, longer, faster and better than the last time.

It is slow at first, getting used to the rhythm, getting used to the stride and the gate. It is working past being out of breath, and the cramps and fatigue that go along with it.  In a way, it t exemplifies my life.  In my strive to be better I often push myself past what I thought I could do.  Well, it has to be done and failure is not an option. The difference in that this, running, is for my health and benefit, instead of in spite of it.

And as I run, I focus in on this new phase of life and only what I want, what my body wants and needs.  There is clarity in the runner’s high. What I want is Life.  I want laughter and fun, and the reward of hard work.  I want to study ad learn, and apply that information. I want to build this life. I want Love and passion. I want long kisses and holding hands and teasing and breathless moments,  I want smiles and flirting and dancing in the kitchen. I want thrills and adrenaline, because I want to play. I have worked so hard and now it is time to play just as hard. I want a good, filled, well lived life.

I want, and will take, the earnings of the past few years. Meaning that I will take what I know to me w=mine, because I have warned it with each tear that fell down my cheek.  I have earned it with each broken, shattered heartbeat. By the grace of God go I, and by His Grace I have come this far. And now, it is time for me to enjoy life.

So here I am, running again. Listening to my body again. Pushing myself again. And falling in love again with running. And that is what I would say about life: Fall in love with you life again. Work through the issues, push past the pain, and see the results. Smile and go further than you thought you could. Because that is the thing about life, it is never too late to fall in love again.

Life is short. Make it good, make it fun, make it worth while.