non running post

I promised myself that this would be a purely running/training related blog. I hate to break my promise so quickly, but several people have commented that the Lowell Sun article is no longer available online. I thought it might be a good idea to post it here:

Perfectly Imperfect

Our society, and we as parents, place a lot of emphasis on perfection. We feel tremendous pressure to live in the right town, send our kids to the rights schools, say the right things, wear the right clothes – you know the drill. The reality is that most of us will never achieve perfection. At some point in our lives, due to our own missteps, or more likely, circumstances beyond our control, we will be forced to deal with an imperfect situation. It is at these times, that our true nature is revealed and tested.

I live in a world where perfection is seldom realized. Our daughter contracted encephalitis as an infant. The disease left her with significant physical and mental disabilities. My family faces the struggle of raising a handicapped child on a daily, often hourly basis. We don’t worry about the perfect school, or the perfect grades, or the perfect clothes. Our worries are much more mundane – seizures, and scoliosis, and respiratory problems to name a few.

On a good day, I realize that there is no such thing as perfection in life. When I am able to take a step back and be objective I realize that our family has been blessed - maybe not in the traditional way, but in an equally meaningful way. Our daughter will never go to college, never get married and never live independently. On the surface, there seems to be little joy in this reality and there are many days when this is indeed the case.

Then a wonderful thing happens. I come home from work at the end of a long and exhausting day. The dog needs to be taken out, the mail needs to be sorted, I want to talk to my wife about her day and experiences, there seems to be no end to the number of things I should be doing. I am tired and distracted. Then my daughter comes bounding (literally – she is not exactly light on her feet) out of the family room and greets me with the most perfect hug that one could ever receive. I am instantly energized and uplifted.

This is a daily event in our home. Although my daughter is in her late teens, she has not lost her childhood innocence. She is still able to give and receive unconditional love. Most teenagers have little use for their parents or families. I am greeted on a daily basis as though I have been gone for a month. Who’s the lucky guy now?

During this Holiday season I encourage everyone to find some small piece of perfection. Some will definitely need to look harder than others, but everyone will find something in their lives to be thankful for.

I am perfect in my daughter’s eyes. And she is, in her own way, perfect in mine. How wonderful!

Now - backing to running.....

1st 18 miler this Saturday. Check back to see how it went?