together

Here we are
Nestled beneath the shade of the tree
Sun kissed and smiling
Your arms wrapped around me
As I snuggle into the nape of your neck
We talk about our next adventure
The things we want to see and do
We take a trip down memory lane
Laughing deeply as we relive so many wonderful times
You and I 
Beneath the shade of the tree
The world spins on
But it is only the sound of your heart beat that matters
I could stay in this moment forever
With each giggle I fall more in love
Leaning into you
Saying yes to this life 
I am so grateful we found one another
And are on this journey together
 

summer wind

There is one month left of summer and I want to savor every moment of it.  This is my favorite part of the season because he is off and we get to spend more time together.  To kick August off with a bang here is a list of things I want to do in the next 31 days. 

* Walk under the stars on the beach hand in hand with the one I love
* Go for a long drive to no where in particular
* Walk the high line
* Ride my bicycle over the GWB
* Laugh with my nieces along the waters edge
* Stay up late, planning, scheming, dreaming
* Laughing deep into the night with my brothers and sisters
* Cheer for a baseball team
* Spent time on the porch
* Creating along side a good friend
* Picnic in the park
* Swim under the stars
* A photo walk with my love
* Drive in movie theatre
* Mini golf
* The driving range
* Drinks on the water
* A spontaneous weekend getaway
* Hold hands
* Snuggle in close

What about you?  What would you write on your summer list?

A little summer wind to kick off August.  

shadows

We all have shadows
Things that we stash way deep down
Avoiding, pretending, not wanting to acknowledge  
Yes we all have shadows
We try to run from them
But they always find us
Showing up day after day
Take a look at your shadows
Pull them out of the closet
Air them out
Free yourself from their chains
They no longer serve you
And you no longer have to carry them around
Wave goodbye as they walk away
You are so much more than your shadows

heres to the fans

the photo for this post has been updated.  showing the fans that supported me at the NYC Marathon and how happy I was to have them there.  Each one helped me through this race.  Even the people I didn't even know, but were cheering.  

Heres to the fans
To the ones who stand on the sidelines cheering everyone on
You have no idea how much you mean to the runner
You have no idea how much you lift them up
And help carry them along

Your cheers
Your words
Your smiles and high fives
They take that runner further than they thought they could go
You help them keep going

Heres to the fans
The ones who wait
The ones who stay
The ones who scream as loud as they can
To people they do not even know

You make a difference
You matter
You are heard
You stick with that runner as they struggle up that hill
They play your cheers
Over and over in their head

Heres to the fans
The ones who show up in the cold and the heat
The ones who make signs
Ring bells
And lose their voices
From cheering

You bring hope
You bring smiles
You bring an energy 
That would be missing without you
You are as much a part of this race
As the runner is

Thank you for showing up
Thank you for cheering
Thank you for taking the time to be there
Without you a runner would be running silently
You bring emotion
You bring life

Heres to the fans!!

never giving up

It wasn't any easy thing to do
But I gave up
I threw in the towel, laid down my pride
And just stopped
I didn't have it in me
Even though I thought I did
Even though I wanted to, so badly
It wasn't there
I wasn't ready
It was not meant to happen today

Disappointment washed over me
Sadness filled my heart
If I can't do this, I thought
How will I ever make it to the end
There are good days and bad days
Moments I feel like a superstar
And others where I think I am a wimp
Today was a wimpy kind of day
Intentions set high
But immobility took its hold

It may look like it
But I didn't really give up
I listened to the words spoken by my body
I didn't allow my ego to get in the way
I paid attention 
And did what I needed to do
I slowed down and found my home
I celebrated showing up
And took note of what I learned
Remembering that this is all part of the journey

There will be roadblocks
Moments where I stumble and fall
Times when I do not make it to my fnal destination
But along the way I am growing stronger
Navigating my path
Giving in to what I need
This is ok 
I am a warrior of my own destiny
Faltering along the way
But never giving up

100 day count down

In 100 days I will be stepping up to the starting line
Beginning a whole new journey
Navigating all new terrain
And step by step making it 26.2 miles
It all feels so surreal
Yet it is happening
Each day I am preparing, showing up, and putting in the time
I am pushing myself when I don't want to take another step
Going out the door when all I want to do is curl up the couch
Mile after mile I am moving, going, never giving up
Hopefully all of this hard work will pay off on this fatal day in November
I pray that my body will be strong, my ready, and excitement taking me through the tough times
I have 100 more days to prepare
And then the ultimate test
I am excited for this adventure, looking forward to that starting line
And also filled with butterflies for the unknown
Today the count down begins!