It all started when I walked in the rec center to get water before the run and saw the plaque that read erected in 1987 or something to that effect. Could that have really been 30 years ago! I began taking the inevitable inventory we sometimes do, of things done, things wanting to do and the most daunting of them all...things undone. Strangely someday has crept ever so slowly up and the years are moving faster and faster.
As I began running, I passed a friend I attend church with...said hi..and moved on. A mile or so and I ran by a former student taking pictures of her twin little girls...said hi... and moved on. About mile three, I met a fellow coach who is married to a former student of mine...said hi...and moved on. Going back from the soccer fields across the bridge, I met one of my former runners who gave me a hi five....and then moved on.
I turned back onto the trail and went about a mile and ran into a family and their children who attend Elkmont and we laughed and smiled while the second grader gave me a "great job, Coach Pugh". I then ran into the husband of the coach who is a former student who is training for his latest triathlon.
I finished up my run at the rec and decided to tackle some stadium steps. I spoke to the Athens coach and we passed some pleasantries about the Special Olympic Run and the state meet coming up and I moved on. I started up the first steps and the smell of my dad suddenly overcame me. It was like he reached out and touched me. Tears filled my eyes and I had to stop at the top of the stadium and gain composure. I then see some of my athletes pulling up to the stadium and I get back to business. We have a good practice and I head home.
On the way home, I couldn't shake the feelings of the run. While I was thinking about trips not taken, books not written, jobs not finished, as usual my mind was working to find some resolution. I realized that on my run I encountered a lot of relationships I had made over the years. I remembered standing at the top of the stadium and watching the kids pull up and knowing that a smile would creep up pretty soon.....And that is exactly what today's run taught me. Each encounter today made me smile. While our lives are quick and although our dreams may not come true, the people we meet and interact with and the ones we love become our accomplishments. Relationships are what it is all about! It was a good run today! Have a good one!
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