Strength: FOUND!

I had a bad day today. I woke up feeling very sad and very lonely. I bumbled through the day on the verge of tears. Go figure that when I am feeling low, my friends come through shining...

I got a present today from my friend Maureen. Totally out of the blue, totally unexpected, and totally not necessary. But, nonetheless, she spoiled me! An awesome Nike headband to keep my giant ears warm, the coolest running glove/mittens that even have a spot on the thumb so you can still work your iPod, anti-chafe balm (hahaha), and a card that brought tears to my eyes! I am so thankful for such a wonderful friend. She is a huge inspiration to me also. I knew she was into running, but I had no idea to what extent. The day after I decided to embark on this challenge, I told her and she was so excited for me! Turns out she did the exact same thing last year! At that time, I was still thinking of taking my training super slow and hoping to complete the St Jude 1/2 in December 2011, but after talking with her for a while, she encouraged me to go for the Music City 1/2 instead. Maureen is such a wonderful friend and I have turned to her so many times for advice- not just about running, but about life. I adore her so much, and I thank her for being a solid oak tree in the hurricane of my life in Memphis. So thank you, Maureen! YOU ARE MY STRENGTH!

Then, I log on here to see that Annie has dedicated an entire post to little old ME! Her tips were just what I needed, and I am so thankful for her advice. I have done strength training before, but never with any real goal in mind. (OK fine, I admit it- I mostly did it just to "stay fit," whatever that means to a college girl that mostly goes to Gold's to look at cute boys.) Some of the schedules and series I have seen are extremely intimidating and I am scared to even try. I was glad to read something simple and easy, broken down to a level that even someone like me can understand, yet didn't make me feel like a complete idiot. I need to stop simply READING your blog and start DOING IT! So Annie, thank you for the laugh and the hope. YOU ARE MY STRENGTH!

What else offers me STRENGTH? Just today, I have been blessed with:

-Talking to my Grandma on the phone and hearing her say how proud she is of me.

-Hearing the right song at just the right time; the song that has lyrics that completely hit home and say everything you are feeling.

-Getting a loving email from friends on the other side of the world.

We all have our weak moments. They come and go like an unwanted house guest. Sometimes they set up camp and linger for many days. Sometimes they just pop in to remind us they arent far away. But all we can do in those weak moments is lean on those people and things that offer us strength. It may be hard to find, but if you just stop looking so hard, it will usually show its face.