You Need People

You need people in your life. Without people you will never accomplish your dreams or achieve any of your goals, and all of my introverted friends just cringed… sorry guys. But it’s true and the truth is that without people to share it with achieving the goal wouldn’t be all that much fun.

The thing is that no matter what you set out to do there are people in the background or on the sidelines helping you to see it through. Running the 1/2 marathon last week was no different. Mr. Wonderful gave me the space in our schedule to train, the kids kept tabs on my progress and wanted to know how many miles I had added each week. My friends Kristy, Jenny and Karla texted me every few weeks or so to check on my progress and to encourage my efforts. They weren’t out on the roads with me but they were supporting me and giving me the encouragement that I needed to keep pushing forward.

This is Jenny…

She’s going to be mad that I posted a photo of her here because she’s a fly under the radar kind of gal. But I wouldn’t have even thought of running this race had it not been for her. Ron and Jenny graciously opened up their home to me last fall when I was undergoing radiation. Jenny had been telling me all about her boot camp that she does early in the mornings and that a few of the girls had decided to train for the 1/2 marathon next spring. When I got home I thought about it a bit and called her up and mentioned that I might like to train for it as well. We live 2.5 hours apart so we couldn’t run together but we consistently checked in with each other and our progress as the miles started piling on. On race weekend they once again opened up their home and we had the best time laughing and hanging out and getting ready for the big day.

Kristy I have known since the womb. Our moms raced to see who would be born first and I won by six days. Kristy is one of the most motivating and encouraging persons I have ever known. It would take boxes to fit all of the cards, notes and letters she has sent me over the years. She’s my own personal cheerleader.

This is Kristy…

Look! She’s just as excited as I am but she’s excited for me! She was running 13.1 miles as well, she paid our entry fees to the race and she flew up to Oregon from California to do this with me. Kristy and her hubby have 4 kids ranging in ages 17 down to 10. She has a Senior girl in High School and a tween girl in middle school. To say that her life is full is a grave understatement. But there she is giving it her all, giving away all the glory to her lifelong friend who was on a mission to celebrate the new life she had been given.

This is Michelle…

We met through the friend of a friend. Michelle is fighting the battle as we speak. She had round 4 of 6 chemos the Friday preceding the run. This round kicked her a little harder than some of the others but here she is on race day with posters and pink and a big huge smile. She is a runner as well and had been planning on doing this race until cancer got in the way.  It was hard for her not to be out there pounding the pavement with me but it was so great to see her smiling face on that day. Miss Michelle has plenty of runs in her future but today, today she took the time in her chemo fog, no less to honor someone else.

This is Lori….

It looks like I am squeezing her neck off, but I was just so excited to see her and her husband Bill at mile 11! They didn’t know it but I had yet to run past 11 miles in my training. My legs were getting tired and I was really wanting the race to be over. Then I saw the Durlings. Mr. Wonderful was in their wedding eons ago and Lori and I had worked together at Faith Center Foursquare Church for a few years before Mr. Wonderful and I were even dating.  I was thrilled that they were there and humbled that they had taken the time out of their day to hang out on the side of a bike path early on a Sunday morning to see me run by. I haven’t seen them in years and yet, there they were, cheering me on, snapping photos and giving me the strength to finish what I had started.

This is Marta…

She blogs over at SelahReflections.com and she is my quiet strength. She is always behind the lens taking the photos and I had a really hard time coming up with a photo of us together so I added one with her and Natalie. She is always there. Helping me shine.

These people? They are my life…

Without them I think I would find it very difficult to celebrate anything. They are the greatest gifts that God has given to me and I am so grateful for the life that we get to live together.

These photos just note the highlights. My siblings and parents and friends from all stages of life have been encouraging, supporting and walking this road with me. You know who you are. Thank you.

People. They can be fabulous, difficult, awesome, challenging and a million other things. But they are worth it and they are essential for you to not only make your dreams come true but to make life worth living. So dig in. Get messy. Do life with others and when you least expect it, they will show up. Just when you need it the most.

Have a great day, All!

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