37 1/2 years….I’ve been a runner longer than many of my kids’ teachers have been alive.  Throughout the unpredictable, the unexpected, the hard, the beautiful, the mundane, the richness of life.  Running has been a thread that has seen me through what was hard as a kid, an impossible marriage, the early loss of my Mom and oldest brother.  Running has seen me through as I’ve watched beloved Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles fade as sickness and age claimed their lives; and as I’ve watched folks with whom I work, who live with illness, injury, and struggles that I don’t yet know.

I learned to love to run alongside my Dad, who also taught me what a steady life, just like a steady run, looks like.

On a run about 10 years ago, my trusty running buddy pup and I ran past a man getting his camera and tripod ready to take photos at a local pond.  As we neared him, he said, “Boy, I’d run if I could”.  We stopped to chat long enough for me to know that he lamented the physical struggles that kept him from running.

And that’s when I knew: I run because I can.  I run because I’ve been so blessed with eyes to see my way, ears to hear, legs that move well enough to put one foot in front of the other.  I am blessed to have a mind that can keep track of my route, and internal organs that support what my body needs to do while I run.

And I have a heart that knows, and understands how fortunate I am to still be able to run.  A heart that has seen, has been redeemed, and a heart that has been given a second chance.  A heart that is deeply grateful.

So this is why I run.  Because I can.

So as long as I’m able, I’ll hit the streets and trails, and put one knowing, grateful foot in front of the other…

…for those who would if they could….