Progress

‎"The great work begins." - Tony Kushner

Run for your life

I ran for ten solid minutes without stopping tonight during my workout.

Ten minutes sounds like it isn't a big deal. But ten minutes is an unbelievably huge deal to this asthmatic overweight woman who, before 3 months ago, had never run in her life. Ten minutes is a big enough deal to give me hope that this weight loss journey will continue on a positive path. And I needed that hope, I needed a reminder that this slow process will change my life forever.

Hope is a funny thing. For it to be something completely untangle, it sure can change everything. I'm glad that I have choosen to keep the hope.

Morning commute

It takes me about 30 minutes to drive to work in the morning. Once upon a time I would have scoffed at the idea of living in a suburb and commuting to work. I was an urbanite, a city girl.

But something has happened over the past year of commuting to and from work from the suburbs... I have discovered that I actually enjoy that commute time. In the morning, listening to npr and catching up on the news of the world, I get my mind ready for the day ahead. I drink my coffee and become a human capable of interaction with other humans.

In the evening, I listen to nothing. Absolutely. Nothing. I turn my radio off and enjoy the sounds of silence. It is my transition time - a time when I sit with my thoughts and decompress after a long day at work.

I cherish this time and I am more than a little surprised to find myself growing more and more comfortable with the idea of being a suburb dweller.

Carolina Summer

Floating along a river outside Brevard, NC.

When I was a kid we spent nearly every waking moment of summer at the pool. Swim team at 7:30 am followed by a solid day of playing, lunching, and more swim team at 5:00 pm. Dinner was either a picnic at the pool or we would head home. Either way we got home in time to take showers and play for a little while before we crashed hard into exhausted slumber.

I think about those summers often and am so grateful for all the memories that arise. I don't think there are many things that are better than a Carolina summer. The weather is hot. Sometimes nasty hot. A thunderstorm is almost guaranteed around 4:00. But it is a perfect background for a kid's adventure, for an outdoor romp, for an active life. I sure do love Carolina summers and I sure am glad that they still make me feel like a kid at heart.

Sanctuary

I have played this song at least 10 times a day for the past week. I can't get enough of it and I don't exactly know why... something about it has grabbed my heart.

"with Thanksgiving I'll be a living Sanctuary for you..."

Summer lovin'

I tend to be a fairly moderate person when it comes to patriotism. I don't spout off my opinions that often, nor do I really pay much attention when those around me do so.

But there is something about Independence Day. There is something about gathering with your community, putting aside differences, watching the sky alight, "oohing and ahhing" together that makes me feel rather patriotic.

It makes me genuinely thankful to live in a country where I get to fight for my rights and work hard to create a better tomorrow. God bless America.