Sundays are my long runs. I run with a dear friend named Pam. She chats and keeps mile times and I navigate. We start with 30 women but Pam and I run together. We check out houses that we love, yards I wish mine looked like, and chat up anyone that will listen. Our coach, Cheryl, claims that "if Pam and Misha would put some of the energy from their mouths to their feet, we could all go home sooner." I once followed a group of guys down an alley to finish a conversation to emerge back from the alley with Cheryl standing there, a look of astonishment on her face. And I take pictures from time to time. The miles get long but I am learning to love the repetition. What could possibly be more spring than a beautiful proposal for someone in Cowan Park. Finding this sign made our run.
Mondays I volunteer at Pike Market Senior Center. I hear stories of depression, hope, addiction, recovery, and grumpiness. Mostly I laugh. I have learned from homeless seniors about joy and finding the funny in the everyday. There is sometimes heartbreak when we run out of food on a snowy cold day. But they keep me grounded. Mostly I have learned what "no judgement" really means. I will never change or save these seniors. I will hear their stories, witness their courage, and accept that their view of the world and how to function in it is completely different than mine. And that is OK. Enjoy some pics of spring in Pike Market.
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