First Take at Quick Takes

Today I’m trying something new to me, 7 Quick Takes, sponsored by Jen at Conversion Diary and inspired by the lovely Cecilia of Dance Immaculata (better known as Aunt Ceci in these parts).

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

— 1 —

This weekend I have the distinct honor of being by the side of one of my best friends since kindergarten as she marries a wonderful man who doubles as her best friend and love of her life. There will be laughter, tears, and a whole lot of dancing. I can’t wait!

— 2 —

Uncle Karl taught Jacob about Star Wars the last time they were together. Jacob has taken to occasionally turning random toys into light sabers. Recently, he told our landlord, “May the Force be with you!” The Force is indeed strong with him (Jacob . . . and our landlord, I guess. He is a physics professor).

— 3 —

Speaking of forces being strong with Jacob, I’m beginning to think he has the full Mass memorized. At home, he’ll grab a book, stand next to me, make me say “Good morning,” (though “Good morning, Father Jacob” is better), and then have me repeat “Lord, have mercy,” and later, “Lamb of God.” This week I overheard a woman behind us in church saying to another, “He really gets it! I mean, he really gets it.”

— 4 —

John’s Big Test is one week and one day away. He’s working like crazy studying for it, and I think we’ll all breathe a big sigh of relief when it’s over. I know he’s dying to have more time with all of us—especially Jacob, whom he misses playing with on the weekends!

— 5 —

I read a phenomenal book this week, Gold by Chris Cleave. I wrote about it on my other blog, What I Learned While Writing a Novel, yesterday.
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— 6 —

Jacob can eat shrimp! The allergist told us it was okay, as far as his skin test last summer, and we finally tried it over freekeh–an ancient grain new to us–with asparagus and mushrooms. Delicious!

— 7 —

A friend of a friend wrote a great article for those who are starting to run (like me!). It’s full of top-notch advice. It showed me a couple things I am doing right and a bunch of others I can improve on, like doing post-run stretches and trying speed training.

 

Thanks to Cecilia and Jen for opening the door to this Friday tradition! It was fun, and I hope I’ll manage to do it again soon.

 

Happy Friday!

 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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Making It Official

This weekend, after months of busy schedules, I had the opportunity to hang out with my friend Mary, the mama who wrote a letter about motherhood and running I posted a while back. She’s been part of my inspiration to take up running, and it was only fitting that we met after she’d run a half marathon and I was gearing up for a run at the park.

 

In the course of our catching up, Mary mentioned a race she’d heard about at the end of her event that morning: a 5K the week before her thirtieth birthday. Might I like to do the run with her and a bunch of other friends to celebrate? Um, yes, please!

 

So now it’s official: I am a runner. I signed up for my first 5K! I’m not sure which I’m more excited about, trying to finish in under thirty-five minutes (or even thirty, if I can do that!) or having the t-shirt to wear afterward.

 
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Another friend, Sarah, will run it with me. She’s a runner, too (I’m surrounded by them; maybe this change of heart shouldn’t have been such a surprise), and the first person I went to to hold myself accountable for getting into this sport. She instantly agreed to run a 5K with me when I was ready. Part of what kept me going those first few times out was crafting witty text messages to send her after I finished. Her encouragement—in running and in life—is invaluable to me.

 

It turns out running is not just about being physically fit. It’s a way to connect with friends, to encourage them and have them encourage me. In a world where we spend more time on electronic devices, communicating across great distances, but not always with the folks right in front of us, I’m grateful for this means of building relationships with women who mean so much to me.

 

The race is on!

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Running Junkie

Let it be known that motherhood is not the end of a woman’s life; if you let it, it can be the beginning of a very special, very fulfilling chapter—and I don’t simply mean as a parent.

 

Every year of my motherhood, I have somehow taken on a new hobby. First, it was writing regularly on this blog. With that—because I got into reading other blogs—I branched out in what I was cooking and baking. That continued into writing a novel that largely hinges on a young woman’s love of cooking.

 

The next year, I learned to knit. In the wake of losing Ethan, I knit up a storm. Maybe next year I’ll take up math and figure out how many miles of yarn I used. Not today, though. Let’s leave it at a whole heck of a lot.

 

Now I’ve somehow gotten myself into running. I don’t understand it. Neither does anyone else who’s known me for more than five years. For most of my life, I really, really didn’t like running. I didn’t feel capable of doing it for any length of time, or with any success.

 

But if motherhood has taught me anything, it’s that there’s nothing I can’t do. And if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it all the way. If I write, I’m going to write a novel. If I knit, it’s going to be a sweater (or three). If I run, it’s going to be . . . I don’t know yet. But I know I can’t get enough of it.

 
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Somehow, I’m running every other day, and even trying to beat my 5K time from one week to the next. I’m enjoying the challenge. Dare I say, I kind of feel like an adult.

 

There have been a couple of times in life when I’ve made a sudden life change of some sort and just had it stick. In high school, after years of drinking only apple if I was going to have juice, I decided I wanted orange. I could barely remember what it tasted like, but I’ve had it almost every day since. (And have had apple maybe twice since.)

 

It’s not a big deal, and it feels silly to write about it, but all this is to say that sometimes, it feels good to grow up a little bit. To make a change, stick to it, and see that you’re a more complex, more grounded, more whole person because of it.

 

Motherhood forces me to take steps like this in leaps and bounds. Sometimes, I’m not all that excited about what needs to get done. But, like running, it feels good once the task is accomplished. I know I don’t do any of the things I’ve taken up perfectly: I burn dinner sometimes; I rip out my knitting and start over; most people could walk faster than I “run.” But the point is, I do it. I’m not going to be number one in anything. And the better days—of parenting and of life—are the ones when I could care less.

 

Today I am grateful for my motherhood—for the person it’s making me become, for God’s grace leading me through the race.

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