Yesterday you just smiled at me

A big day - Alex turns 22, the Flyers play SLU, I am starting a fun week in Oregon (it is nice to be able to work from everywhere when you are morning person so time zones aren't scary), and it was 1 mile benchmark day. While not nearly as exciting as Alex turning 22 (did you see the baby pic? oh yes, I did post it on his wall so all his friends could enjoy it too - you should check it out), the thought of a mile benchmark got my heart racing and BP up - just like the thought of labor, all 2 days of it, did 22 year ago.

Let's add to the fun, like I do, and leave the state and comfort of my home OrangeTheory Murphy studio for the benchmark. After much convincing from the incredible Teresa & Stephanie, I swallowed (pushed down in places we push things down to) my fear and went to the studio this morning for my benchmark alone. But wait - what is this? A note waiting for me in West Linn OTF?

In a way only the Barenaked Ladies can, Teresa & Stephanie sent me a note to keep me motivated and on track (literally, let's remember I have fallen off a tread more than once) for my benchmark!!!

I did not cry, there is no evidence I even teared up, and knew I could do my mile. All I had to do was not fall off the tread and match my last time. Well, I did not fall off the tread since July 10th through 6 months of hip issues, 3 months of rehab therapy exercises, 3 weeks of 100% rest time on various beaches, and on 5 hours of sleep after a 4 hour flight, I cut 18 seconds off my mile time. 8:23 is now mine.

I have to tell you, yesterday I posted about how amazing people are, today was further proof. Andrea cheered on our crew at home while not being able to workout herself; Teresa & Stephanie cheered me on from afar; the front desk crew at the West Linn location cheered me on & said to pass the cheers along to our Murphy studio for being so awesome; sometimes people make life hard but really? People ROCK. Thank you to all in my life who make this journey fun. And thank you for reading all of this - now Harrison Ford is getting Frantic, I look like Hot Wasabi when I bust a rhyme, and, let's go folks, Get it together and come back and see me! 💪🤜🤛🧡

Rain will make the flowers grow

And rain will make the flowers grow...

Life has thrown many curve balls lately, not for me directly necessarily, but to those around me who I know and love.  This morning, I awoke to Trouble Dog letting me know that it was storming and all I could think was the song A Little Fall of Rain.  Yes, I typically turn to songs during life - it is just part of who I am (a little dramatic?  Check!)  and this morning, that song is resonating with me. And right now?  We need the rain to bring the flowers.

Life isn't easy to get through my friends, it isn't supposed to be, but I believe that we will get through it even in those darkest times when we don't think we will.  I don't know how, and I don't know when or why but I know we will and we can only do that together.

We all have different opinions & beliefs; we are all different and that is what makes each of us so special.  That is why we all need each other whether we admit it or not.  I pray for all of you - I pray that you find peace, joy, happiness, sorrow, love.  I pray that you laugh when you need to laugh and cry when you need to cry.  I pray that rain brings us all flowers - because a little drop of rain can hardly hurt us now.  We are all going through this life together, we're here, and that's all I need to know.

(Note: I posted this whole entry on FaceBook as it seems to be a mini-blog site now and needed to share it but wanted to include the YouTube here...)

Sometimes, it is just about finishing your race.; even if there isn't an actual race or actual bling at the end...

This past summer has been an interesting one, life has thrown out good times, bad times and everything in between.  I have had moments where I was sure I couldn't get through another step and others where I knew I was going full steam ahead happier than ever.

This past weekend I ran double halves.  No, really.  I intentionally laced up my shoes, glided my body and ran 13.1 miles on Saturday and Sunday morning in 96% and 81% humidity respectively on purpose.  No one has ever called me sane, why should we start now.  I was with an amazing group of women, all of different sizes, paces and passions on this trek who motivate me all in their own way.  I also had an additional amazing group of friends and family I have know forever and friends I only know virtually or met a short time ago cheering me on from afar and supporting me whether they realized it or not.  All about the live and virtual cowbells people.

I once posted an entry about why I run.  I have written about running being a team sport, okay, so I wrote about it twice - I am a writer, it's what I do.   It is a team sport, and if you have ever run with a group, be it 1 mile or 100, you know that.

But I digress, as I often do - I know.  

Too often we set goals for ourselves, realistic or maybe not so much, and when we don't hit them, we feel like a failure.  When we don't crash through barriers, we feel like finishing alive isn't enough and I am here to tell you IT IS ENOUGH.  I didn't set any PRs this weekend, heck, my times were some of my slowest ever but I still ran 13.1 miles, twice.  I still ran through the finish line both days and heard my name "eRun Erin D Reilly has finished."  I still completed 2 half marathons and got the bling.

Saturday I ran into a friend that I met at a New Year's race and helped him through the last 4 miles with wicked calf cramps, didn't think twice about stopping to help him stretch them.  Didn't think about the time that I would be posting as I ran over the finish line with him into the arms of my wonderful man who came to cheer on my victory.  This was my 10th half, it was supposed to be my PR - life had many other plans so it was, and always will be, my 10th half regardless of time.  It was awesome.

Sunday was made of all hills (yes, a town in Texas that has NOTHING BUT UPHILLS) and when my body told me enough, I actually listened and walked up those hills (I still ran down, I am only so reasonable).   I ran with my wonderful friend as long as I could then made the trek myself.  I met a 13 year old girl and her mom who were running together, it was the 13 year old's first half and I had the honor of experiencing it with her and it was motivational. 

Both races I finished with my awe inspiring friend, who I watched run many many years ago and swore I would never run.  She is the one who paced me through my first half and to my yet beaten PR.  She came back both days (finishing way before me) and ran the last half mile or so with me cheering me all along the way.  It is just what she does, and it was great.

I will admit, the end of day two I felt down that I still was slower than I may have wanted to be.  I was wondering if I would ever pick up the pace again and then I watched a video my mom sent us.  I didn't cry, the girls were around, but I was on the inside. No matter what, good days and bad, I am Who I Am and am loved by so many.  I wanted to share it with all of you - YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE and YOU ARE LOVED!!!  I don't care if you walk, run, sit, crawl.  If you feel like you have no friends or a million you are loved.  You are amazing.  

You are a winner in my book, life doesn't always give us actual bling to show us that we are winners, but I would give you each bling if I could for your everyday victories.  Mine was realizing that fast or slow, I succeeded.  What is yours?  Now, wear your bling with pride.

Today we fight

I had lunch with 3/4 of the CN Mafia (great group of friends aptly named by one of the fiancees); we were sampling food for the reception, it is an important role that we HAD to do.  You know, because none of us have ever eaten at Fuddruckers before...hee hee hee :)

Anyway, while we were sacrificing buffaloes in honor of our hungry tummies, we were talking about life and death.  All of us are of the mindset that when it is time to go, it is time to go.  But we are all fighters.  There is nothing that we wouldn't fight through if we put our minds too it (we are forged in TM mud after all).  

Today, a friend is fighting for the right to live literally.  He is going for surgery for a new heart.  Yes, this is the same person that had a heart 'die' on him months ago while being prepped.  Today, the heart is viable and will be his.  We tough girls all made it clear that once we are gone, we are donating everything that can be used.  EVERYTHING.  If someone gets to live on, live on!  We certainly don't need it anymore.

So today, we fight for him.  We fight for his amazing wife and his two great kids.  We fight for everyone who can't fight for themselves.  Everyone is unique, has different opinions on right and wrong, politics, religion, you name it, but everyone deserves the right to fight.

Angels watch him as he fights today, and let him know that we are fighting for him too.

Time flies

And it's not just because I noticed I haven't blogged in a month, time really does fly.

This morning the kiddo and I went to his first official high school Open House.  The school we visited is smaller, and all boys.  It sits on a beautiful campus of wilderness (yet in a city) and the 3 academic buildings are nestled around a quad of gardens and pathways.  It was all breathtaking, and that was before we even went into a classroom.

As this is an all boys establishment (one of two that the boy is looking at),it was refreshing to see the teachers let the boys be, well, boys.  As the chemistry professor put it "We can let them be boys, or we can try to stop them which just means they will be boys, only behind our back and won't behave when we need them too!"  The boys supported each other, helping each other out and prodding when need be.

What's the point?  Kids grow up so much faster now than I ever did - the pressures of the world, constant communication, internet...you name it.  Today we started with mass in the chapel and a cell phone rang (I pity that boy!) and that was the last of the invasions until I got back in my car.   When one of the older students was asked what they thought of the fact that these students don't use laptops in class they said that it doesn't bother them.  They still use pens and paper, they still have to know how to spell without the red lines directing what to fix.

When's the last time you used pen and paper, then put it down to go in the courtyard and throw a frisbee?   Watched it fly like time before it reaches its destination...

Hee hee

I got the best compliment yesterday and yes it made me smile and giggle...

"I saw someone on the airplane who reminded me of you, she was short, smiley and giggling while singing to herself softly. Just a happy girl."

It's always interesting to see how people are reminded of you, I have to admit that sometimes it isn't good (right?). As humans, we interact non-stop with one another whether it be in person or virtually - we can't always be smiley and giggly, but we can be good to each other. Maybe someone else is having a worse day than you and needs a smile!

Life's too short!

And yes, this is happy me coming off an amazing vacation so life is good. Here's a smile... :)

Holy Cow - It's May!! Be the flower for someone today

We certainly had the April showers, and they crept no so quietly into May; still waiting on those flowers!

We had an amazing weekend. The kiddo rocked his very first impromptu speech competition and took 4 place in the state THEN got called out for the Order of the Arrow as a Life Scout. There was so much pride flowing out of me that I am not sure my one heart could handle it. He also survived another vicious rain storm while camping, but this we come to expect as it seems to be the trend that when he camps - it rains. That makes me laugh, I must admit.

All this to say - do we always remember to tell the people we are proud of that we are? Do we remember that a little hug, or smile or encouraging word from a friend or loved one can go further than any external event or action does?

So this month, try to reach out to those in your 'village' and tell them how lucky you feel to have them in your life. Whether they are around a lot, just always there when you need them, or a kind acquaintance that you see in passing from time to time. You will be amazing the joy you will feel just by sharing with them - maybe you will be their May flower! :)

Oh - and kiddo, in case you missed it the first 100 times, I am so proud of the young man you have become. Keep up the good work and you will go further in life than you ever imagined.

It's a Girl Thing

It amazes me how women can sit around a table for hours and talk about nothing at all, but when you get a group (maybe just 1 other person in the group!) that are true friends, you can look at them and not have to talk to know that life is great for them. That things are looking up and while they might be rough at that moment, they just know things are better.

And they know the same about you.

'Chillaxing"

I don't like that word - I actually don't think it is a word and certainly doesn't invoke relaxation in my mind. But to each her own.

What calms me down is music, and not any type of music in particular just music. More precisely, lyrics. I can not like the singer, think they have no vocal talent whatsoever but the lyrics, that is what speaks to me.

For example, right now I am stuck on the following from a terrible joke of an artist:

Hey, slow it down. What do you want from me?
What do you want from me?
Yeah, I am afraid. What do you want from me?
What do you want from me?

How many times have you wanted to go out and SCREAM that at the top of your lungs? Instead, I open the sun roof, roll down the windows and sing it at the top of my lungs.

Sing out people, it will help - I promise.

Communication

"In the good old days" we used to pick up the phone and talk to people, or, in the case of the huge corporation I work for, walk over to each other's offices/cubes and talk face to face. These days, we use internal messengers, email and even the dreaded text messages. We use these tools to our advantage and they make life a lot easier. How many times would you rather just shoot a quick note than start a long conversation with most people? And we are all guilty of using the path of least resistance in dealing with those who aggravate or annoy us...

Now, I am as 'guilty' as the next guy, I would rather IM most people than have to deal with long drawn out conversations about nothing. And I love IMing to get my frustrations out to those few people who need a laugh or have the ability to make me laugh. However, I don't abbreviate or use the 'text' language - do we not still have keyboards right in front of us? Stop being so lazy people!

I am still very much a phone person too - but prefer phone calls in the call when I don't have to worry about who is listening over cube walls and it gives me something to do other than entertaining the masses by singing and dancing on the road. And right now, I am dealing with something at work where it is safer for all parties that I don't answer this person's call until they chill out. Just ask the aforementioned IM friend who can make me laugh.

Here's the rub - how funny is it that people still find silly reasons, and maybe no reason at all, to come talk to each other face to face. Be it, some minor thing at work that could be handled via the phone or even yelling over a cube wall that is used as the excuse to plop yourself down in their cube, or the need for a cup of coffee just to get away from the computer and see another human? I am a people person - I love people, the interactions, the different opinions, the various places in life each individual is in with regards to their life. It doesn't surprise me that I like to deal with most situations face-to-face, I seem to learn better that way. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that more and more people are using the face-to-face randomly during the day, just to prove we all still work with other people?

Funny thing about this - an old and dear friend who I have worked with at 3 different career points - just stopped by and we talked, face to face for an hour. And it was great.