Things to be grateful for

Yesterday, or maybe the day before, my DH paid me a tremendous compliment. He told me how impressed he was that I juggle all my obligations, and that he recognizes that I work hard at my 2+ jobs. I was so stunned I hardly had words. My first thought was that I worked much harder when I worked full time plus the paper route, and made far less. I didn't feel any of that acknowledgement then. But instead of dwellling on that, I accepted the compliment and thanked him.

I also had a break through today. I went to a 5k run prep meeting sponsored by the city. I've always been rather modest about my running, but sitting in this room with a bunch of people where I was 18 months ago, it hit me again. I am a runner. I have completed 3 5k's and a 7k. I have bought running shoes. I have stayed injury free. And I still enjoy it, even if I don't rub every week or even every month. That's definitely something to be proud of!

Running ( late publish, 5/28)

Yesterday, I ran longer and farther than I ever have before: 7k / 4.35 miles / 68 minutes.  I had signed up for an event, but couldn't make it, so I decided to rub the course on my own, despite not really having trained for it. To add insult to injury, I decided the best way to get to the route was to bike there. It's only 5 miles round trip, but still.

I survived. I'm not even that sore today.

On my way home, I passed through my old neighborhood and the block I started running around. When I started, just being able to run long enough to circle that block was a huge deal.

What I've learned? I'm capable of much more than I realize or give myself credit for. I'm stronger than I imagined.

I may be slow, but I'm lapping everyone on the couch.

Slightly obsessed

Lately I've been obsessed with books about heaven and near death experiences (NDE). What occurs to me, however, is that no one reports having NDE and going to he'll. Is that because by luck or fate everyone who's had an NDE has been virtuous enough to go to heaven, not hell? Or that those who have a NDE in hell never report it? Or that, contrary to popular belief, hell dies not exist, or at least isn't real/physical like heaven is? Something to ponder.

Also, I'm reflecting on a statement my MIL told me once. She says when she was younger, my age, she needed to know the answer to everything. The Why. She says that I would have enjoyed her younger self because I'm like that too. But as the years waged on, she realized all the nagging Why's didn't matter, and she relaxed. Is this the death of intellectual curiosity? And with the internet, it's so easy to find at least best guesses about almost anything. Technology is a boon for the intellectually curious.