Limits...Schlimits!

Many people I have seen in life find SOMETHING they can use to limit their abilities and/or achievements....present company included!  Age, financial standing, jobs, spouse, academic success, self-image, ANYTHING!  We can find anything that will excuse us from the responsibility of owning our successes and our failures.  Why?  Because it is easier, it hurts less, and in the end...we figure we don't have to answer for it if we just absolve ourselves of it with the words, "That's not my......"

Growing up I considered myself to be a pretty active kid.  I played softball and LOVED every minute. (And still do...if anyone knows of a team....CALL ME!)  One thing I never felt confident about was running.  I hated, no LOATHED it actually.  After the birth of our daughter, Sarah, I was explicitly told by my doctor that my weight was out of control and because I was diabetic with both pregnancies, I was begging for Type 2 in just a few years.  That set my wheels in motion and I was on a mission to lose weight, because though I cannot influence the fact that I am at higher risk for Type 2, I can influence how much difficult it would be for Type 2 to get into my life!  You'd better believe I am going to make it VERY difficult.  After losing a good chunk of weight and being dedicated to taking good care of myself, I decided one night to go from walking to running.  I thought to myself "there is NO WAY in all of creation I will be able to finish my route at a running pace".  As I collapsed in my back yard, face first in the cool, green grass, I then said to myself  "Holy crap....I just ran that whole route at a run!  WHO THE HECK DOES THIS FOR FUN??!!!"  But something had me out there the next night running once again.  And I have never stopped since.  I am now an avid runner and actually do enjoy it.  I conquered a goal of mine in August, which was to run my first 5K.  I did and finished in the top half of the race.  But you know what is even better....?

It's not what I have gotten from it....it is what I have passed onto my kids.  My daughter Sarah, now 4-years old, loves to be active.  For a long time she has said "Mommy, I want to run with you!" and I have encouraged her and even let her run a block or two....and by-golly SHE'S GOOD!  Something happened though when my family came out the race to support me.  Sarah's whole mindset went straight to the goal of "Mommy, can I run a race with you?"  Initially, I responded with "Well, if it's something that you still want to do when you get older, sure!".  Then I got to thinking, "Why in the heck am I placing limits on my child, when she didn't see any for herself in the first place? She wants to do that and I am going to be the one that tells her she can't?"  I don't think so!  So, I began having several conversations with her to see if this was something that she actually wanted to do, or if it was something of a fleeting 4-year old moment.  Consistently, Sarah has said, "Yes! I want to run a race too! I am a good runner Mommy and when can we go?!"  So, we talked about the need to practice and learn how to run properly and the importance of being in good shape.  She understood all of that and agreed to practice as needed.  I told AJ and then her, I am going to find a race (aiming for this Spring) that will let her run.  We have set our goal on a 1 mile walk at a running pace, but I can see a fire in her already that I think will push her right up to a 3.1 mile finish line!

Yesterday, I asked Sarah "So Bug, (that's what we call her) do you want to go run with mommy?"  And with NO hesitation she was ready to go.  I told her if we were going to do this, she was going to have to commit to at least one mile everyday.  She was cool with that.  Off we went!  Today I asked her if she wanted to run again.  I was sure she would say no, but to my surprise she was "YESSSSS" the whole way.  I could not be more proud of my 4-year old daughter who within 24 hours has run a total of 2.1 miles!  She listened to everything I taught her about form, pace, breathing and focus and put it ALL into action tonight.  Even when I was singing "HERE WE GO SARAH, HERE WE GO!!"  she replied with "Mommy, remember that takes our breathing and energy away....so let's run with our mouths closed."...I smiled and watched in amazement as she pushed on and turned around smiling when she hit the driveway.  And she didn't even collapse!

Sarah and I are GOING to run a race together.  Even if I have to go the top of the line to get her in, I WILL DO IT.  I am going to watch her go all the way to her goal and past it.  I can only pray that God had this all planned out years ago when my sugar was too high that sooner or later my goal of being healthy would lead our kids to the finish line.

And that's my proud momma moment!

It Takes a Family to Climb A Mountain

Some take beaches, some take cruises, some take long island getaways.  What does my family take????  A 5-mile hike to Abram's Falls in the Smokey Mountains in the rain and tubing down a non-existent river.  

It's Labor Day weekend, and I have been anxiously awaiting my family's arrival for WEEKS.   My sister Amy and her boyfriend Keith, my nephews Nathan and Noah and Keith's son Zach, along with my Mom and Dad made arrangements for us to all gather together for the weekend in a beautiful cabin high a-top a mountain in the Smokey Mountains.  Friday night we all gathered together and shared laughter, hugs, and love.  Saturday, we made plans to go tubing down the river.  What could be better than spending the day lazily winding down a river enjoying the gorgeous sun and beautiful scenery right?!  Well, yes.....but when there is a lack of rain in the area and the river is down, you end up walking a good bit of the river!  Though it was a challenge at times, there were more good spots than tough ones during our adventure on the river.  The kids got to swim, jump from a rope swing off the rocks, and the adults got to partake in some much-needed relaxation and laughter.  

Then Sunday, what could be better than taking a nice relaxing "hike" through the mountains to the amazing site of Abrams Falls?  Mom and Dad wanted to see falls, so we were determined to deliver.  And......so was everybody else from every other state in the United States!  We sat on the "Scenic Loop" of Cades Cove for HOURS.  We finally made it to the trail head and our adventure began.  About 2/3 of the way to the falls, it starts sprinkling.....then a little harder.....and then down right POURING!  When we made it to the falls, it was a complete downpour, but nothing could detract from the amazing beauty of the falls.  We took pictures of rain-soaked kids and family members and found a baby snapping turtle that Logan is STILL talking about!  The hardest part begins.....the hike back.  Now pouring harder than ever, shoes squishing, carrying Sarah, slipping on rocks, hungry, tired and racing against the approaching dark of night....we finally reached the trail head once again.  There was not a DANG thing that wasn't completely soaked.  We got into our cars and stripped children to underwear and turned on the heat in early September.  Only to approach the loop road to exit and find the SAME site of a chain of cars at a stand still in our way.  An hour and fifteen minutes later, we made it to the exit road and traveled back to our cabin.  Cold, tired, hungry and hurting, we landed into showers, hot tubs, and dinner plates.  To quote my ever-positive mother "Well this was an ADVENTURE!  And one for the memory books!"  She always finds the silver lining among the rain clouds.

This morning I was sitting at the breakfast table just watching.  Watching the controlled chaos that the walls of the cabin held.  I saw adults scurrying to pack belongings, children fighting, children and adults fighting...yet the peaceful mountains stood quietly in the distance outside the windows.  I started thinking, "Molly, you are one very blessed girl."  You see, while a lot of people feel that a vacation is about being pampered, spoiled and rejuvenated, I came to the conclusion that for me, it's about re-establishing the strength of a family.  When we were trekking down the river, we each gave a hand pulling and pushing tubes across slippery rocks.  Each one of us needed a hand at one point, and rest assured, you didn't have to turn around and search for one, because it was already there helping.  We all made sure that every member of the family made it to the end of the ride safely, and shared some laughs along the way.  

And the mountain?  Well....I cannot imagine climbing it with anybody else.  This morning I thought about it and it occurred to me, if I had been out there by myself, I would have had plenty to be afraid of, but because I was surrounded by my family, I never was afraid.  When someone slipped, or needed carried, someone was there to help.  We sang "Jesus Loves Me" in the rain and stopped to view God's artwork....which is just as beautiful in the rain as it is in the sunlight.  It was a good reminder that sometimes God's way of cleansing and rejuvenating is to drench one in blessings that we often take for granted....like family.  

There are a lot of families out there, and they all have their fair share of ups and downs, rough spots, hurts, joys, happiness and unbelievable adventures, and I bow in humble adoration at how they have all weathered those situations.  My family has endured happiness, loss, heartache, love, tough lessons, tough choices, and unspeakable situations with NO clear answers, but one thing that is as constant as the mountains in the distance, we have climbed each mountain together.  We never have to look for long or very far for a outstretched hand, because without reservation someone is already reaching out. I love my family so much that there are no words to adequately express it.  Is it hard living so far from them?  Yes, absolutely.  But distance is only as far as you make it.  We make it work.  Skype is wonderful!  Most importantly, we cannot be broken and we will always have each other and memories.

So, beaches, spas, fancy restaurants, cruises, manis/pedis, and island getaways????  NOT FOR ME.  I will go anywhere and be anywhere that my family is.  I would hike that mountain trail in the rain as many times as they asked me to, if it meant that I got to spend time with them.  I don't need to be spoiled with meals in bed or crisping on the beach....I just want hear the laughter of my kids playing with their cousins, my sister singing while she dries her hair, my mom reading an "important excerpt" to my dad from the latest book she's reading, and my husband teasing me endlessly....or at least attempting to!  Someday, all I will have is those memories and no lavish vacation in the world could outshine them.  So mom is right, this was an adventure for the memory books.  We could choose to complain about muscle pain and soaked shoes, or we could thank God for the opportunity to live, laugh, and love each other through anything.  Frankly, I look at it like this....once that physical pain goes away, if that was all we focused on, what do you have left?  Nothing.  Memories stay with us forever and form our future.  I can't wait until our next family adventure!