So, on our drive in to school and work this Monday, my youngest and I had a very enthusiastic discussion about finding joy. She’s at the tail end of her senior year of high school and to say she has “senioritis” would be an understatement. Senior year of high school as a kid is filled with angst – everything is about to change! You are about to say good-bye to everyone and everything you know and embark upon a journey of unknowns. Senior year for parents is equally challenging. Your kiddo is pushing for independence, at the same time you find yourself scrambling to make sure you taught them all the lessons they will need before they launch into the great big world without you.
On this particularly beautiful Monday, my soon-to-launch teen and I discussed the life lesson: finding joy. Every day, I explained, you can find one moment of joy. And, those moments of joy will add up to a life of joyous moments. Sure, you can focus on the bad parts of your day, but where’s the sport in that?
And as I left her that morning, I took a moment to reflect on the things that bring me joy – my family, my significant other, my faith, my friends, my dogs, my sporty endeavors, my volunteer activities, and my work. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but every day brings an opportunity to find a moment of joy. One particular moment of joy this week was my training run with my running buddy Hercules.
It was a beautiful spring-like morning. Hercules was pumped and ready to run. We ran a quick 4 miles through the trails near my home. Hercules was on his very best behavior – which really says something for a Weimaraner.
After our run I took a scenic four hour drive to Washington to visit Coach Charly. This was the first weekend I have not skied since January 5 – that’s 8 straight weekends of skiing for a gal who hadn’t skied (save a few weekends) her whole life!
So, to all the amazing friends who have joined me for my cross-training ski adventures – thank you for bringing some snowy joy into my life and helping me build muscle for the long run to come!