I'm trying this year, sometimes successfully and other moments not quite so much, to be present. Life last year was a wicked reminder that nothing is guaranteed and that our lives can change in an instant. (The ironic thing with cancer is that we feel as though our lives change in an instant, yet the change is already happening inside our bodies for some time before it's discovered. Perhaps that's too deep for this blog, but I'd like to think the same is true for positive changes as well ... that they're occurring long before we see the results.) Anyways, my intention is to be present and soak in the moments, finding the joy and happiness that exists each day.
Last week Teddy woke up at 3:30 a.m. Not for a bit before falling back asleep. No, he woke up for the day at 3:30 a.m.
I'll be the first to admit my gratitude at 3:30 a.m. is outweighed by my desire for sleep. However, I checked weather and determined that, yes, indeed, it was warm enough to take Teddy outdoors. So Dave hung with him until 4:30 while I was super productive prepping cookies and breads for my bakery. Then we bundled Teddy in snowpants and all his gear (because warm enough in Wisconsin March still means snow gear to protect from the chill). And we headed to run with my friend at 5 a.m.
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| 5 a.m. photos are a bit blurry. |
Fortunately, I have incredible friends who aren't surprised when we have an extra running buddy for our early morning runs. Better yet, a few of them willingly offer to help push him! Teddy absolutely loves hanging with my friends and loves running with us (even if there's no popcorn and barstools afterward). So we did 5 miles of both cardio and strength training (as he weighs a solid 100 pounds now, plus his chair) before 6 a.m.
Although we joked about being out of shape for pushing, I headed home from that run filled with gratitude that I can still run with Teddy. So many things have become more difficult or impossible through the years, and this is something we both love doing together that we can continue to do.
And, let's be honest, few things make you feel more like a kickbutt human than pushing your son for a 5-mile run at 5 a.m. even if you wish he was still sleeping then.
