Running

I believe that running has saved my life.

Not because I'm 300lbs and running

helped me lose weight, no I love to eat

too much to lose any weight from running.

It saved me because it gave me a focus,

an outlet for my grief.

A year and a half ago, when my Mom was diagnosed

with cancer, I quit running. I just couldn't get motivated.

I was traveling so much to help her, and I was dealing

so much with my own shock that I just

couldn't find the time to run.

Shortly after she died, I started running again.

All of the grief literature talked about the importance of

exercise. The literature was right.

Every morning I would lace up my shoes and

run. Gradually I increased my distance.

Sunday I finished a 15k road race.

It was the tenth time that I've run that race.

It was the first time that I ran it without my Mom.

Without my Mom cheering me on at the finish line, or waiting

for me at home. It was the first time I couldn't share with

her how much fun I had. I was able to share the joy of my race

with my husband and children.

Cheryl brought our four children to the race course.

She waited with them for over an hour so that I could

see them for only a minute. She waited with them

so that I could hug them, kiss them, love on them.

She waited with them so that they could see me run,

so that at the end of the day, when they asked me what my favorite

part of the whole race was, I could say, "Seeing you guys. Hugging and

kissing you guys. Having you guys there to cheer me on."

That was my favorite part of the whole race.

Thank you Cheryl. Thank you so much.