The Message From 12:41am

It was 12:41am this morning when my phone went off.   I have different alert sounds and I knew by the sound it was a text message.  I could imagine who would be texting me at 12:41am.  I looked at the name and was very puzzled as to why she would be texing me at that hour.  And then I opened the message.

It said that her husband was in ICU with a stroke.  It said to please text or email her.  I sat straight up in bed, my heart racing.  I immediately text back with questions and shock.  She responded that the bleeder has paralyzed his right arm and to pray he even makes it through the night.

We met them in 2001.  He is a jazz musician and she is a chef.  We immedately clicked as friends.  They live far away and so we haven’t seen each other since 2001, but we still keep in touch via email, phone calls, and texts.  The four of us have reconnected more in this last year than any other year.   In fact, one of her last texts before this happened was that we needed to come up with a plan for them to come here, play some jazz, and she would cook for us.

And then….this text.  I woke up this morning to get ready for work thinking that actually it had been a dream.  You know those dreams in which you wake up the next day and it was so real that you have a had time with whether it was a dream or not?  Well, it seemed real, but yet there was a part of me that thought maybe it was just a bad dream.  So I checked my phone.  And there is was…the message from 12:41am.

He did make it through the night.   From the last update, he has eaten, gone back to sleep, could move his arm, but not his fingers.  I don’t really know about the status of the bleeder or anything else.   His birthday was Tuesday.  He is 48.

I have questions….what triggered this?  What is he going to do if he can’t ever move his fingers again?  He is a musician…it’s his life…it’s what he’s done since he was a young boy.

I’m scared for my friends.  I am scared for their future.  However, I am so thankful he is alive, that he is eating, and that he can move his arm.  I am guessing that for a long time, successes might come in small incriments.  But as long as there are successes and improvements, then it’s in the right direction.  I pray it doesn’t go the other way.

I am no expert in anything and I don’t pretend to be, but I can say this with certainty….I had a different perspective today.  We all lose sight of priorities and perspecitves and I am guilty of that.  It’s sad, actually, that it takes something like this to happen to somebody we know to shake us back into place.  And how long does that last?  Life goes back to “normal” for the rest of us and we worry about the usual things.  But today, my heart was in a different place and I know it will be for a long time.   Life can change in the blink of an eye.  Are the things/people we worry about  really, really worth it?  No. But we all do it.

The message from 12:41am was scary.  The message from 12:41am was shocking.  The message from 12:41am was sad.   The message from 12:41am is reminding me once again of what is truly important in life.

Please…pray for my friends.

 

 

I’m A LIAR!

Well…I’m not a LIAR…but I did change my mind. 

I’m running a half marathon. 

But this time, it’s a virtual half to help raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  You can run a 5K, half, or full marathon.  Donations go to the Red Cross.

I’m planning on running it next Saturday, November 10th.  So that will be a half on September 1st, October 27th, and November 10th.

I understand the “runner’s etiquette” in terms of a virtual race not counting as an official race.  I’m not trying to count it as one of my “official” races and be one of those people who doesn’t get that unspoken rule.  I just believe it’s a great cause.  And if I can finish it, which I know I will, I am proud of the fact that I will have run the half distance in 3 consecutive months.  That’s is just a neat personal thing.

If you are interested in joining this cause, it starts tomorrow, November 4 and ends on Novemer 11.  Go to this website for more information and to join!

http://www.run4nyc.com

 

New November

Well….Halloween is over.  I didn’t get through it very well.

Our haunted house went great, but I must admit, I was very tired from all the work.  I loved it and it was so fun, but it was extremely tiring.

In this week since the Monster Dash Half, I ran once.  Working so much with and at the haunted house has thrown off my exercise schedule and my eating.

My “Me~Tober” goals, if anybody even remembers that, went pretty well though.  My pop intake at school was the main goal that I wanted to work on, and for the most part, I did MUCH better.  Until this last week.  I didn’t get in as much weight training as I had wanted.  Being sick with bronchitis, took a toll on all my workouts.  Considering I had a terribly busy and sick October, I still consider it a great end to the month when I can run a half marathon and finish well with virtually little running the entire month.

So now onto November.  What does it have in store for me?  What are my goals?  I will be very honest….I am SO GLAD that I do not have a race scheduled in the near future.  I am a little “race” burned out.  I am looking forward to not having to think about going to a race, getting myself and everything ready.  I am really excited to just do my own thing in terms of exercise and not have to worry about getting in a certain amount of mileage.

Speaking of the next race, I do know that I will be running the Get Lucky Half Marathon again this coming March.  And I’m excited that Trish wants to run again with me!  I absolutely love the Get Lucky Half.  It’s probably my favorite race.  I suppose being Irish helps since it’s always around St. Patrick’s Day! Other than that, no other races on my schedule and that is just fine.  (DISCLAIMER:  I do remember saying that a while ago and then I registered for the Monster Dash, so we’ll see how long this actually lasts!)

Do I have November goals?  Yes, but I think I’m going to narrow it down to one.  And it’s simple.  **Do the best I can, make good choices, and not worry so much about it all.**  Okay, that’s more like three.  But you get the picture.

The best part of November for me….is Thanksgiving Day.  I love waking up, having my coffee, cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family and having the Macys Day Parade on.  Thanksgiving morning is one of my favorites!

I hope everybody has a great weekend!  I am going to relax finally, get in some sort of exercising this weekend….what that will be I don’t know.  And hopefully, I can catch up on some sleep.

Take care everybody!!