Jacket

This past weekend I took place in the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K in Chicago, IL.  Let me emphasize the "5K" part of that title!  It was a fun race to take part in and with 40,000 runners/walkers it was the largest race by far that I have participated in.  The charity benefiting from the race was the Ronald McDonald House which is a well deserving cause.  Another way runners could give to a cause was by shedding their clothes.  Any clothes taken off at the starting line or during the race (don't worry there were no streakers) were donated to a mission in Chicago.  While I was waiting in my corral before the run began there were these two women who got in line right next to me and I notice that one of them was wearing a very nice Columbia fleece jacket.  Just before the horn buzzed us to our destiny of 3.1 or 9.3 miles for the morning the lady took her Columbia fleece jacket off and hung it on the fence and said, "You have been a great coat, now go be great for someone else".  I couldn't help but get choked up.  The giving spirit some people have is just an awesome thing to witness. 

Now there may be people who read this and think, "What is the big deal, it is just one jacket?".  Well my friends I would like to direct you to one of my favorite stories:

There was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach

and saw a human figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day,

and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man,

and that what he was doing was not dancing at all.

The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects,

and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"

asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out.

If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented,

"But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach

and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean.

As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"

 

My running mate Ashley and I after our race!



 

I challenge everyone to find a starfish or jacket :)

 

And Make A Difference

Let Me Hold You Longer

My baby Noah is no longer a baby.  Noah is one.  He is a walking, yelling, food throwing, run over the dog with his blue pick up truck, refuse to get his diaper changed, three toothed amazing gift of a boy.  Like I have said before Noah is my daily reminder that unconditional love is real.

Photo By: Ellie Piper

Photography Studio 37

I was going through his many books and I came across one entitled Let Me Hold You Longer
By Karen Kingsbury.  I couldn't bring myself to actually read it out loud to Noah because the words make me weep.  I recieved this book as a baby shower gift from my Aunt Cindy and Aunt Dixie and they warned me of the books ability to turn on the water works.  I believe they told me that they were both crying their eyes out in the Target book aisle.

 

"Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts:

First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.

But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,

and I will be left thinking a lifetime of your lasts..."

 

(Hello tears!)

 

"The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips. 

The last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip. 

The last time when you woke up crying needing to be walked,

when last you crawled up with your blanket, wanting to be rocked."

 

(Are the tears decorating your face yet?!)

 

The last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold. 

The last time that you said you'd marry me when you grow old. 

 Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past

would I have held on longer if I'd know they were your last?"

 

(and if I wasn't blubbering already)

(the book ending to finalize my sob fest)

 

"For come some bright fall morning, you'll be going far away. 

College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way. 

One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss. 

One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed. 

I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed. 

Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

 

If you are a mother of a boy and you haven't cried in a day or so you should really read the whole book.  I am willing to share our copy :)



 

 

 

 



Noah and Maggie

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