Oh my STARS!

Runner #7: Vinda

"Oh my STARS!" What would we have done without our music? Languished, for sure. She made sure the team was well supplied with a plentiful stash of high quality chocolate - a core component of any successful relay race effort. Sure and steady, I have never seen someone make running 9.3 miles look so pretty. So effortless. She was our star. Our flower. Our music. She finished just as fresh, colorful, and bright as when she started. No wilting here. Just a whole lot of twinkling. It must have been the chocolate. But the real thing we couldn't have lived without? The sweet, sweet music of a day full of those lovely giggles. They spilled out readily and in abundance every inch of the way. "Oh my STARS!" Thanks for being our music, Vinda. We couldn't have danced without it. Well. That and the chocolate...

If One Part Suffers...

"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Grieved, slept with the windows open, grieved a little more, went for a run, danced with a squirrel, grieved a little more while running. It's a process. There's no right way to do it. It's ok to cry. It's ok to laugh. It's ok to smile. It's ok to miss her so much you can barely breath. Cry out to God. Let God and the grieving process heal you. To all who knew and loved Kendra, my heart is WITH you.

Hard Not to Smile Back at Her

I hope you don't mind if I hit the "pause" button for a minute. But I just really feel that today is the day we remember Kendra. She was amazing. They tell me she wasn't a runner. She was a walker. BUT. Last Saturday, she was a runner. She ran 24 legs of our race with us. Today marks one year since we've had to live without her physical presence. I am glad, though, that in God's design He made it so she can still be in our hearts. And it was comforting to hear that those who knew the lovely sound of her giggles could still hear them as we made our way across the state of Illinois in a big, white van. I think I can speak for the others when I say that seeing her bright smiling face on the back of the van as it passed us on our runs seemed to somehow lighten the load and make a person stand up straighter and run with more resolve. Seeing her bright smiling face on each others shirts as we reached the finish of each leg was all right, too. Hard not to smile back at her. Even through tears. "Kenny", our big pink inflated flamingo mascot, was with us every step of the way. The sunshine shone down on us all day in more ways than one. I didn't know her as well as some of you did, but I get the feeling that she never made her burdens other people's burdens. We miss you, dear Kendra, but thank you for what you taught us about light and love.

"Born to Run" Ambassador

Runner #6: Martha

Team Running for Sunshine wouldn't have been complete without a runner that runs in flip flops. I think Kendra would have approved. So our very own "Born to Run" ambassador took the baton with a hug, an "I love you" declaration and a smile; turned on her pretty little heels; and flip flopped off into the horizon... leaving a trail of spectators with dropped jaws and disbelief in her path. "Is she really running in flip flops?" This woman championed our Runner #6 hill, the hill that earns the third leg of the race the title of "Very Hard", without batting an eyelash. Just a steady flip flop pace up a long, intimidating hill and a megawatt smile. Simply. She was not intimidated. Just willing and ready to fit in whenever and wherever. She crossed two fords, a bridge and a couple of killer hills for a total of 5.5 miles. For never having run a race before, she sure came across as a veteran. So, Martha, I think you earned your stripes. I couldn't think of anything that would have made our team more complete. Cheers to running in flip flops!

She Fairly Danced

Relay Runner #5: Elizabeth

I've heard of dancing when you run. I've even tried dancing while I run. But to see it done so naturally? And so prettily? What a treat. Elizabeth. She fairly danced her way across 10.2 miles of southern IL with blonde ponytail swinging. Was fun to see that beautiful smile arrive. It was fun to see that beautiful smile go... knowing that it meant we would see it arrive again. Even her hand offs were pretty. I've never seen a hand off done so gently and gracefully. She had a quieting, calming effect. When things didn't go quite as planned, she did what she could to help the situation. In the background. No bells and whistles. Just did what she could to help make things a little better. Believe me. I noticed. And I would be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge her part in acquisitioning our big, white van - the unspoken hero of our day. The one that held eleven women, a flamingo, coolers of food, and bags of dark chocolate for 13 hours and 81 miles on Saturday, April 20, 2013. The one thing I'm quite certain we couldn't have lived without. Thanks for dancing, Elizabeth. It wouldn't have been the same without you. 

Turning 40 With Conviction

Relay Runner #4: Maggie

She was at the ready. She was watching. She was waiting. She reached with purpose. She ran with strength (for a total of 10.7 miles...our longest distance). She beamed. She embraced the experience with her complete self. I have never enjoyed someone watch for a runner come in with such anticipation, grab the baton with such purpose, and turn and run with such eagerness as I did watching Maggie this day. I found repose in her unwavering smile. A sense of peace and comfort. She turned 40 with conviction on this, our race day. Made it look effortless, really. The day was not easy for our Maggie, I know. Losing someone like Kendra leaves a huge hole. But her outer calm and delightful smile was evidence that she has been digging deep this past year. It was more than just putting on her brave face. Quite simply. Maggie. She was the crown jewel of our day. Happy 40th Birthday, Maggie! I hope it was even better than you imagined it would be. We all love you!

One of Our True Miracles

Our Relay Runner #3 - Melanie:

Originally slotted to be our third runner, Melanie was one of our true miracles. The miracle being that Ms. Melanie happens to have a heart condition... one that required some pretty serious heart surgery. With a little encouragement from her twin sister, Valerie, and a faithful running partner, she fastidiously trained for this relay in her home state of Kentucky. She was dealing with some irregular heart beat issues which surfaced in the weeks leading up to the race and there was some question of whether or not she would even be able to run. A few doctor visits later, the problem seemed to be somewhat resolved and even though the exact reason has yet to be identified, she was game to give it a try. While she wasn't able to be our Runner #3, she was able to run the middle leg of Runner #6 for a total of 2.5 miles. What a delight to see this sweet, cheery face appear around the bend and move down the long stretch in her bright yellow shoes. She's every inch as sweet as her twin sister and experiencing these two as a "pair" is fabulous times two. If this doesn't inspire a person to run, I don't know what will. Seeing her arrive safely brought relief, big smiles and open arms. Hugs all around. No irregularities here, it's quite apparent this woman gives with her WHOLE heart.

Pizazzy Jazz

Our Relay Runner #2 - Valerie:

Here she is. Appearing magicly out of the depths of the magnificent Shawnee National Forest. Our veteran River to River Relay runner. The one who originated the idea of pulling together a team. The one who answered all our questions because she had done it before. The one who trained for this race on South Dakota flats during the longest winter ever. The winter that broke the record held in 1881 which was the same winter Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book, "The Long Winter". Valerie trained in it. She graciously handed over her middle miles, but ran her beginning and ending legs for a grand total of 7.35 miles with pizazzy jazz. The same pizazzy jazz you see in the matching head bands she sewed for our team. Quite simply, Valerie... you ROCK! Thanks for helping us maneuver our way through an unforgettable, unrepeatable experience. 

Never Wavering

Our Relay Runner #1 - Kara:

This girl, she is a powerful runner. I loved watching her run. Nothing more inspiring than seeing her appear around the corner and come over the hill during our Saturday race. She did her three legs with amazing strength and fortitude - never wavering. 3.6, 3.35 and 3.3 mile legs respectively for a total of 10.25 miles. Solid.

My First Relay Run Experience

I've been missing because I took a little run through the Shawnee National Forest on Saturday. Ten other ladies joined me and ran from river to river (Mississippi to Ohio) on Saturday in the River to River Relay. My first ever relay experience. We ran in memory of Kendra. To know her was/is to love her.  There was something really nice and inspiring to see this when the relay van passed you on your leg of the run. So blessed to be a part of Team Running for Sunshine. An experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Running for Sunshine

One day in April, we ran for sunshine.  It helped.  But we still miss her.

River to River

This Saturday, I will be in a van with 10 other women running 81 miles across the state of IL in the River to River Relay in honor and memory of someone dear to all of us and whom we miss very, very much. We are Team Running for Sunshine aka Kendra. I feel overwhelmed already to be included in this group, but I know it's going to be a meaningful experience that none of us will ever be able to replicate. We miss you, Kendra!

A Song A Thousand Times His Size

A little bird about the size of my thumb sang a song a thousand times his size to me while I watched the sunrise reflect itself on the mountains from the hot tub this morning. It appears the mountains had pink and blue cotton candy for breakfast. I couldn't think of a better way to wake up. *happy sigh*