every day is a good day

today was team in training saturday run, week 3. we did 6 miles (48.17) in the quaint little area around ne 33rd near grant track. i had the pleasure of running with a gentleman named bob jordan, who lost his 5 1/2 year old daughter to leukemia about 13 years ago.

before our run, bob and his wife spoke about the moment they took their daughter to the doctor, presumably for a cold, and heard her diagnosis. they talked about the hospital visits, the chemo, the cute little things their daughter did that they have burned into their memories.

for example, i learned that bob has done 33 marathons and 13 (?) ironman triathlons. one of his major goals was to qualify for the hawaii ironman. apparently they have a lottery system, so bob was going that route to get in. around the time of his birthday, he applied. his daughter wanted to get him a present and knew that the only thing he wanted at the time (aside from her getting better, of course) was to qualify. so, with the help of bob's wife, little emily drafted a letter explaining that she was in the hospital and why, and that she wanted to give her dad the one thing he wanted most - a spot in the hawaii ironman. what committee can resist that? bob obviously got a spot in the 1997 event. however, little emily went into a coma and died 4 days later. this was six months out from the event, so he poured his heart into his training and was actually featured on cbs news with this wonderful human interest story. what a great gift from his late daughter.

(read the story on the ironman website here)

but i must say that for all bob has been through, he is the most positive man i have ever met. you know what he said to me today?

"since we last saw emily and last walked out of that hospital, i have vowed that every day is going to be a good day. i can't have another bad day, because i know what a bad day is really like."

i think that is an incredibly amazing perspective and goes along with the first post that i put on my blog - start really living, we're really dying. we are not on this earth for very long. the things that we think are worth getting all bent out of shape about really aren't worth getting bent out of shape at all. who cares about traffic jams, financial issues, having to get up for work on a monday morning, not having anything to wear... whatever it is, it doesn't matter.

what matters is that we are healthy, we have a support system of friends and family, we have jobs, we have a roof over our heads and food in our fridge. we have a lot of things that many, many people in life simply don't have.

my goal for my life is to live like bob -
every day is a good day.

start living... we are really dying

the church I attend started a 5 week series the other day about "really living." what would you do if you had 6 months left to live? tim mcgraw's song "live like you were dying" was played and i couldn't believe what a great gift i had been given that day - to be reminded that we are not here forever. take advantage of the time god has given you - seize the day, carpe diem and all that. i think we all know in the back of our minds that we should "just do it" instead of "putting it off until someday," but we all get caught up in our daily lives and simply forget. before we know it, "someday" turns into "6 months left to live." so, i am reminded - stop waiting for "someday" and make things happen.

i have to admit that i really enjoy my life right now. like everyone, that feeling sometimes slips away (think "i hate monday mornings!" and "why don't i have more money?" and "i wish i had more vacation time."). i am definitely very guilty of that.

but isn't it great to know that you have a bed to get out of on Monday mornings, that you have a roof over your head, running water, food... that you even have a job to go to when so many others don't right now?

isn't it great to know that you have two legs that work, that you even have the physical ability to go to the gym and work out? isn't is great to know that you are healthy. that your car, however crappy you think it might be, was not in the car accident that i witnessed on i-5 a few days ago? that you made it home safely from work, the gym, the grocery store... to tuck yourself into your comfortable bed?

isn't it great to know that we have loved ones in our lives who will be there for us in case something unthinkable ever did happen to us?

i, for one, am very thankful. i'm so glad that i have the opportunity to run a half marathon, that i have fantasic friends and a supportive and loving family, that i have a great job that i truly enjoy... and if i ever start complaining, i give you all permission to smack me upside the head and bring me to my senses.

to close, i'll leave you with the chorus in tim mcgraw's song, live like you were dying, and my bucket list (at least for the next five years):

i went skydiving,
i went rocky mountain climbing,
i went two point seven seconds on a bull named fu man chu,
and i loved deeper,
and i spoke sweeter,
and i gave forgiveness i'd been denyin'

and he said, someday i hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying


my bucket list
- run a half marathon, a marathon, an olympic duathlon, and the hood to coast relay at least once
- buy a dslr camera and learn how to use it (instead of sitting back and coveting beautiful photography, why not do it myself?)
- finally take a cheese-making course (or 10)
- buy an around the world ticket and travel for weeks, if not months, to south america, eastern europe, central america and maybe asia if there's time... hike macchu picchu... walk on the great wall of china
- roadtrip across the united states with my mom and sister
- ride in a hot air balloon and a helicopter with my husband
- climb at least one mountain - even mt. hood would be awesome
- go bungee jumping, and not the woosie 40 meter one either
- hike and camp non-stop with my husband and our dog, because when it comes down to it, sharing nature with my favorite people truly makes me happiest
- and what the heck - go skydiving again, but this time from the highest elevation possible