I guess this post has two points...
First of all, was so heartbroken to hear about the young runner and olympics-bound Sally Meyerhoff being killed this week while she was out riding her bike at home in AZ. She was so full of energy, ran in pink skirts and girlie braids, and OMG was fast as lightning!! A 2:37 marathon and a 16:23 5K...holy smokes!! Oh, and won XTERRA trail run world championship last year!! If you want to be inspired or need a pick-me-up, check out her blog.
Also, I'll post part of a poem which I'd read somewhere a while back. And part of it was quoted on Sally's blog. It's from the Invitation by Oriah. It's been stuck in my mind a lot over the past few years, as it really captures the essence of how we should live. Bottom line, be happy, seize the day, appreciate that which is good in others, and don't get bogged down by the petty stuff. Life's short and this isn't a dress rehearsal.
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
...
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
...
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
RIP Sally :-)
.
