MIA

Yes, I have been MIA for the past three months. While life has been taking over, I have barely come up for air let alone a chance to write. For those of you wondering, yes I have been training. Yes, I have managed to finish more than five miles (I maxed out at 18). Where have I been, you ask? Well, let me tell you what I have learned over the past month.

The past month has taught me more about life than I have learned over the course of my 22 years here (yes, I know.. big freaking deal). You see, my marathon training was placed on hold for the past month so I could finally support a woman who has always supported me - my Grandma.

I started training for this marathon as a means of self-reflection. Throughout my collegiate  relationships I lost a huge part of who I was. The athlete. The writer. The independent thinker and person. And, not that I didn't appreciate those things I did gain in college, but I still missed those other parts of myself. I figured throughout training I'd be gaining so many of those things back, and while I slowly did a huge part of it all was still missing.

It wasn't till recently that I realized - not only what I was missing but what my life goals were. What I had been passionate about, and what hopefully sparked the passion of others. I love seeing the excitement people get right before Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It thrills me to see NFL players sporting pink during October. And while I may have lost sight of all that -

My Grandma truly believed I could make a difference.

While I may not yet be the star I once thought I was meant to be... I know that the difference I am making with every step would make her proud. She was the kind of women that believed in a better world. She believed people could make a difference just by sharing a smile.

So, while this marathon may have started out as being a selfish means of self-preservation, it has garnered its way into being a giant momento of the person my Grandma always knew I was. No longer is this marathon about me - its about her. Her passion for life, her caring personality, the lives she touched by sharing her smile.

A smile happens in a flash - but its memory can last a lifetime.

Song of the Day: Holes in the Floor of Heaven - Collin Raye

Passionately Pink,
Christy