Gratitude

Hi sweet friends!

I am grateful tonight. I found kindred spirit this week-end. The first was an in a Narcotics Anonymous meeting where I celebrated 2 years of clean living for a healthy, strong young man. I sat surrounded by family and friends and listened to confession after confession from these healing, broken spirits. Theirs was a horrendous tale of misery then, and now, a huge climb back and full of setbacks. The theme they chose to discuss was “never give up” and “gratitude”. They wept and described the many gifts of sobriety in an effort to stay strong one more day. I felt their desperation, their physical and emotional pain, there regret at the cost of their disease to the ones they love. I felt their joy, their pride in working the program, staying strong one day at a time. I was grateful to be amongst such bravery, honesty and emotion. Thank you!

Then a victory of quite the other kind. My husband softly nudged me, the smell of fresh coffee wafting upstairs. My stomach turned and my eyes refused to open. My tot is still asleep too. I snuggle back in to the warmth and relative comfort offered by the bed. The phone rings- Tracey’s up with her family. They’re on their way to Stanley park to cheer on our friend Kevin as he crosses the finish line after running 21 kilometres. He has fundraised to pay for our nanny and has raised well over his goal. If he can run I can get up. I manage to get my clothes on. One glance in the mirror reveals a shocking sight! Oh well- I better hope we’re not judging the book by it’s cover today! Tot wakes up confused but excited. I tell him we are going to watch Kevin run a race in Stanley park! “Oh... BIG park” he replies. I explain that Kevin is racing so that we can have nanny Elizabeth. His eyes widen and he says earnestly, “Thanks Kevin!”. We pick up Uncle Cookie who entertains the tot exceedingly well and we zoom down to the race. Somehow we miss seeing Kevin actually cross the finish line but managed to find him shortly afterwards still gasping for air and hungrily ramming bananas and water down the hatch. He separated for a moment and circled a tree. I think he was gathering himself. It seemed to have helped! I cannot imagine the stamina it must have taken to run 21 kilometres without stopping. His face was full of life and pride. The spirit of endurance dripped from the trees and echoed from the pounding of feet on the pavement. I can keep running too! Thank you making us all feel proud today Kevin. I plan to finish my race with the same spirit you finished yours. I hope you won’t mind if I need to circle a tree every now and then as we go along. You are a champion!

Michelle