We returned from Michigan yesterday. My dad's passing provided the opportunity to bring a lot of family together which was fantastic. My family is fairly small and many of them had planned to be together for the holidays anyways - which meant they simply (well, sort of simply) moved their gatherings from original rendezvous locations to Petoskey. Relatives from my mom's side and my dad's side got to meet each other for the first time, many tales were told, and smiling dominated over tears. It was good.Of course, my upcoming run was the source of much conversation. Some saying "do you know how much your dad didn't like that idea?!" On the other hand, by the end of the gathering my dad's little sister (92 I think she is, she's in the middle on the couch in the center/back of the picture) had decided to hop on a bike and ride along with me...much to my cousins' chagrin.
I must confess, however, that running has been a challenge over the past week. My heart just hasn't been in it. Add to that the whirlwind of activities, fitting in the miles has been tough. My runs ended up being:
- Monday: no run...no desire ('twas the day dad died)
- Tuesday: many many many loops in Denver International Airport's Concourse C for 3 miles (it was better than sitting)
- Wednesday before sunrise: to/from my folks' house and along the waterfront in Petoskey for 6 miles
- Wednesday night: looking at Christmas lights in neighborhoods near my folks' house for 3 miles
- Thursday before sunrise: from my folks' and through a little cottage community and along the waterfront for 9 miles - followed by coffee with one of my best friends from high school...very good.
- Friday - the day of dad's service: up at 3:30 a.m. and out the door for 8 trips around a two mile loop near my folks' house, talking with my dad. The most peaceful run of the trip. Total 16.5 miles.
- Saturday: the only daytime run of the trip so I went on almost every trail I knew in/near Petoskey plus found a new trail. Always a good day when you find a new trail. Total 9 miles.
- Sunday: a quick waterfront tour before leaving town. 5 miles.
Total miles for the year: 3001.5 (my highest annual mileage ever)
Now to continue on this quest - without my dad challenging me all along the way. It'll be tough.
2 comments:
There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself. ~John Gregory Brown, Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery, 1994
He'll continue to guide you, keep listening.
Paula,
I'm sorry for your loss. My mother passed away in April. She had been failing for some time, but it was still a shock and left a sense that a chapter had indeed closed. She was the last of that generation in our immediate family so that history is gone forever.
Dick Lipsey.
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