Checking items off the Bucket List

I am posting two posts right in a row, because they didn't seem to fit together in one but both have happened in the past week.

I crossed another item of the bucket list yesterday. Items such as; skydiving, see Boston Harbor, go to Hawaii, get a master's degree, and go scuba diving have all recently been crossed off.  But, my most recent check mark was yesterday as I ran 13.1 miles down Blacksmith Fork Canyon and into the city of Providence for the Top of Utah half Marathon.  It was a rush!  Who would have ever thought this time last year that I would run a half marathon?  I know I hadn't ever thought it.  I thought people who did that kind of thing were crazy people!  I admired them for their endurance but never thought I would finish one.  Well, I DID!!!  It felt so good to cross that finish line! There were times when I thought myself crazy, mostly at miles 9, 10, 11, and especially mile 12. :)

I think the best thing about running for me is this has become a family affair. I am not alone, although I usually end up running at times by myself- I blame it on the short legs. :)  It's all relative though. 

I always have someone to cheer me on and keep tabs on me.  Maybe even make me feel a little guilty about missing a running day, eating a piece of cake, or sleeping in instead of exercising. :)  It all comes with the community of runners, yes I said runners... I think that's what we can classify ourselves as now.  A year and a half worth of running pretty darn consistently at least shows we don't give up right? Dad was just asking me today, "So would you consider signing up for next year's race?" It's been one day, and he's already getting excited for doing next year's!  I love it!  I love that my family is my support system. 

As I was running down the canyon I remembered a story that I used multiple times on my mission that I want to share here. I ran the first 7 miles of the race on my own, with hundreds of people surrounding me, but no family was around (it's the short legs again). When I got to the end of the canyon and I saw my wonderful mother and sister in law cheering and taking pictures all over the place, I started to cry. This account in the Feburary 2009 ensign came straight to my mind.  Thanks for bearing with me, this is a lengthy post..

Running to Him

BY MARCY ZABRISKIE

Years ago my son Derek competed in a much-anticipated track meet. For three long years of his young life, he had prepared for and hoped to win the two-mile race, and now watched with the crowd gathered near the finish line, it seemed the race would last forever. Finally, Derek crossed the finish line first, and the crowd burst into cheers. He was immediately surrounded by coaches, teammates, and friends, all patting him on the back and offering congratulations. Derek seemed relieved and thrilled to have finally accomplished his goal.

I noticed, however, that in the tangle of the congratulatory crowd, he was frantically scanning the field as though he wanted to be somewhere else. Soon Derek bolted across the field. I watched, with tears in my eyes, as he ran with arms outstretched into the open arms of his father—the place he wanted to be. I recorded that moment in my mind—a moment when I saw just how much our son loves and needs his dad.

Derek’s preparation for this event had not been easy. There were times of discouragement, disappointment, and sometimes complete despair. But Derek had the constant support of his greatest fan—his father! In rain, wind, sleet, or snow my husband was at every race offering Derek encouragement.

At those races my husband stood apart from the other spectators at what I considered an odd place. He wasn’t at the finish line or even along the final stretch, but at a distant corner on the far side of the field. Once I asked him why he stood there. I will never forget his answer. He said, “I stand at the place my son needs me the most. He does not need my encouragement at the beginning of the race—he’s excited, positive, and ready to win. He does not need those cheers at the end, when the finish line is clearly in sight. He needs to know I’m there at the most challenging moment—when his legs burn and he feels like he cannot go on. He needs to hear at that far corner a voice telling him to keep moving because he has worked hard and deserves to do his very best. There will be cheers at the beginning and loving support and the end, but I will be at the corner where I know he feels like giving up.”

As I watched Derek leave his team at the finish line and run a great distance into his father’s arms, I realized that spiritual whispers of encouragement from my Father in Heaven have not come at moments in my life when I felt most sure of myself. Instead, those reminders of His love have come when I thought I could go no farther, when I felt as if my spiritual legs would collapse in exhaustion. I have felt His love and I have known then, as I know now, that I am His child. As I remember my husband’s arms encircling our son, I imagine what it will be like to cross the finish line of this life and run into the waiting arms of our Father in Heaven. I am grateful for the support of a loving Father in Heaven and of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that has helped ease every difficult turn in my life.

I too am grateful for my loving Heavenly Father who is always there in the times that are most needed. I know without a doubt he wants us to be happy and he will support and sustain us to the very end!  We can make it to the finish line in life, but lets hope we enjoyed the run along the way!