Day of Hope #41
Friday May 13, 2016
Goal: Walk 13 miles before breakfast, buy a car at lunchtime, and dance for my dinner.
Quote: “Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching.” – Satchel Paige
Today I got up early, at 5:00am, to go out with my walking partner Mr. D. We did a short 13.2 miles today. HA! We are training for a half marathon later this month. After we did our training walk that morning, I had to go to work for half a day and finished around noon to go buy a new car.
I finally bought the car from my vision board a few years ago. I explained in Day #10 how I test drove lots of models out there for mid-size SUVs for a month so I could decide which one to buy when I was ready. I settled on the Subaru Forester. I was able to put down a good down payment and drive the car home.
Later that afternoon was filled up with my favorite spa day. Facial, Honey Hawaiian wrap, steam room, manicure, and pedicure. Then I went home and showered, got dressed up, and went out to a party.
I went to Sockeye Brewing for dinner and dancing. It was founded in 1996. Their beer was first offered as a handcrafted option to tap houses in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. Sockeye brews on a 40-bbl brewhouse in Boise and is one of the top-producing craft breweries in Idaho. Its signature brand, Dagger Falls IPA, is the bestselling Idaho-made craft beer in the state. All that information is great if you like beer.
I have a confession to make, I am not much of a beer drinker. They have other drinks, amazing food, live bands, and dancing on the patio. Tonight, I was able to spend the evening with some very special ladies. Sometimes, I go to church with this amazing group of women, and they are all in their 70’s. They are all the sweetest, funniest, and craziest group I have had the pleasure of hanging out with. Each girl is unique in their own way, and they have no problem telling it like it is. I have learned so much from them about how to love life while you are young, and how to enjoy life at all ages. We always go out to lunch after church and it’s my favorite part of Sundays, when I get to spend a few hours with them.
One of the gals has a daughter named Florence. It’s Florence’s birthday and we are going to celebrate in a big way. Florence is hands down one of the most amazing souls I have ever met. She has down syndrome, and she does not let that stop her. Every time I am around her, she always tells me how beautiful I am, and I tell her right back how beautiful she is inside and out. Just being around her makes me feel free and unstoppable. We all laughed and danced the night away. I feel very blessed to be able to spend time with her, and enjoy a fun filled evening, on my special day of hope, on Friday 13th no less, which is my favorite 13th day. She passed away a little while later that year. I am so thankful I got to spend the evening with her, and see her enjoy her birthday, and be so happy to just be around us all.
My lesson of hope: Keep going for your dreams. Hard work and dedication always pay off. New cars are awesome, and life is such a precious gift. We never know how long we will be alive on this earth, and I am learning to surround myself with people who appreciate life and all it has to offer. It makes the journey so much easier and a lot more enjoyable.
Bonus Event
As I mentioned above, I am doing another half marathon this month. It’s the Idaho Great Potato race. The course is all along the Greenbelt by the Boise River. Amazing scenery, and I have my sister Sally, and her boyfriend Bob, coming up from Utah. Mr. D’s niece and her friend, who did the half marathon climb up a mountain with us on a day of hope #33 are also attending. Bob is going to run the whole race, impressive. The rest of us will be walking.
It was my sister’s first half marathon, and it was tough for her, she wanted to give up several times, but we pulled through, and finished with a smile on our faces. Now when she gets frustrated or down, she tells herself, “I did a half marathon, I can do anything.”
It’s not the distance you must overcome in the race, it’s yourself. If it does not challenge you, it will not change you!
