Part of growing up means learning to appreciate life. I spent the past two months stressing about something that was largely out of my control. After undergoing a competitive and anxiety-provoking process, I received somewhat miraculous news on Monday morning that I had been gifted the training experience of my dreams for my next year of graduate school. Mouth gaping, hands shaking, I jumped in my car and started driving to school.
And then I heard the news on the radio: explosions at the Boston Marathon.
Suddenly, life was put back in to perspective. All the worries and woes I had experienced in the past two months- and even the joy I had experienced that morning- now seemed irrelevant. People had lost their lives, lost their loved ones.
At one point I had begun to deal with my stress by training for a 10k (see Inspiring Ourselves at Any Age). This new beginning had inspired me and re-awakened my soul, eased my worries. Understanding the significance running had for me, I was heartbroken to hear the news of the dedicated athletes, many of whom might not run again because of the injuries sustained in the explosions.
There are no words to make sense of tragedies like these. For me, however, the bombings were a reminder that life is short, and at the end of the day very few things in life truly matter. So today I am going to thank God that I am alive & healthy, tell the people that I love how much they mean to me, and go for a run in the beautiful sunshine while carrying with me those who can't.
Beautiful post. Keep it up! And I'm glad that you are discovering a love for running. It changed my life and it creates a sense of unity with fellow runners that seems particularly pertinent at a time like this.
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