Another One Added

In my mind, right next to the place I keep track of when I need to buy toothpaste and deodorant, is a different type of list.  A list of my favorite days.  The days in which I feel like everything is right and aligned.  Saturday was added to my list.  Just as I figured beforehand it would.   

But it actually started with late Friday night when my doorbell dinged and I was met with a squeeze hug from a forever friend I haven't seen in a very long time.  She came to stay in my extra bedroom after tucking her kids in bed for the night and kissing her husband goodbye.  She walked in with two wet french braids and a smile.  It wasn't five minutes later we both had quilts wrapped around us and were deep in conversation.  You see, forever friends are like that.  In fact, that's how you know it's a forever friend situation.  When you can go months without connecting and then find yourself in a talk about life in a late night living room with quilts wrapped around jammies.  In a talk about real life.
 

The part of life which includes trying to be good humans.  Eating healthy and exercising the body and the mind, taking time for soul mending, doing family activities which matter like hikes and leaf collecting, and cancelling Christmas presents because family memories are more important.  It was the kind of visit which makes me excited about life and the people in mine.  

After minutes turned into hours, we both made the call it was time to turn in with the awareness our third musketeer would be picking us up at six in the morning to hit the road.  After only a few hours of sleep on our eyelids, the doorbell dinged again.  This time Sil came through with her running tights and mittens and a smile on her face.

As we made the two hour drive with coffee cups in our hands and the sun starting to rise on the left, it was as if the talk Jenny and I had started the night before never ended.  Because the discussion of being good humans was at the forefront with an emphasis on the example those two moms are being for their children.  They are both more than humble but I can shout it from the roof for them.  Amazing women they are.  Taking care to cook with real food and using precious evening minutes to love up on their kids while creating memories.  And taking time out of each day to run, even if it means rising before dawn or staying up later than everyone in their house.  They do it.  They do it for themselves but they also do it for their families.  And that is a beautiful thing. 

When the 5k was over, we celebrated.  Celebrated a fifth place overall finish for Jenny and a tie for an eleventh place overall finish for Sil and I. 

Sil and I finished the race together.  It was a difficult course with hills and more hills and crossing the finish line on the same stride as my "sister" was something I won't forget.  The vision of Jenny jumping and yelling and throwing her hands in the air won't be erased either.  I could have kissed their faces at the end.  But I didn't.  They know I'm weird but I don't know if they can handle face kissing.  Hugs though.  There were hugs.  

Hugs for the celebrating of working hard to finish strong of course, but more so than placings we celebrated each other and the time we were sharing. 

When I heard them talking to their kids later in the morning, my heart squeezed.  The squeals of delight and love yous and can't wait to see yous and texts from proud husbands were nothing short of the best.  It's easy for me to take care of myself.  I am only in charge of taking care of myself, but to know in my soul it is possible to continue with the addition of a family is the example I see being set before me by these two beautiful ladies.

The notion they will let me tag along on their adventures of running and cooking and raising babies is priceless to this girl who takes care of herself for now.