Simple Truths

This morning I felt like I was living in a #tbt picture. After my physical therapy appointment, I took my old metro stop to work. It’s been years since I rode the metro to work everyday, but as soon as I grabbed my paper and started walking down the escalator it felt like I’d never stopped.

I knew to walk cautiously in these shoes because the soles sometimes slip on the escalator. I knew the exact spot to stand on the platform to be at the door when the train arrived. (And of course that is the exact door you want to catch the escalator at my transfer stop.)  I stood and read the paper with one hand and my brain still knew when to stop reading and start toward the door. As I made my way to the perfect spot to catch the next train, I realized this commute will always be a part of me.

Our days are made up of all these mundane tasks; commuting to work, eating lunch, making tea, doing laundry. And yet it's those little moments that make up your life, that shape who you are. It’s such a simple truth that should impact how I view every hour of every day.

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. - Annie Dillard

I Dreamed a Dream

This is not the post I planned to write. I had been thinking of a post telling all about this great adventure I was preparing for and then doing a few recaps afterward. Instead, I’m writing this post to say my dream is on hold. I will not be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro next month.

The dream started my senior year of college. Three of us sat around at our favorite coffee shop and the topic of climbing to the roof of Africa came up. We decided then and there we would do it together one day. But then life happened. We graduated, got married, bought houses, had kids (well, they did) and realized that our evite planned trip for 2010 might not be in the cards.

This February I was training for a half marathon and preparing for a ski vacation when Ross found out two of our friends were climbing Kilimanjaro in May. My jealousy quickly changed to excitement as I made plans to join them.

After our vacation, I went on my last long run two weeks before the race and everything was fine. But as I walked to a friend’s house that night, my foot started to hurt. I tried to rest it for a day or two, but the pain was getting worse and not going away. By the time I got to the doctor, it was better and he confirmed it was tendonitis. I should skip the half marathon to heal in time for Kili.

Then last week, out of nowhere, for no apparent reason, I sprained my toe. I was just walking on flat ground in flats. I knew then my dream was on hold. I couldn’t trust my foot to be healed enough to climb a 19,000 foot mountain.  I was crushed. I went back and forth for a few days trying to decide if I should try to make it work. I knew the answer but just didn’t like it.

I realized too that this dream of mine is somewhat of a frivolous dream. Not reaching it means I won’t get to spend money to go on a difficult week long hike and see a some cool stuff along the way. I have so much to be grateful for and I shouldn’t throw myself a pity party.

Maybe one day, Ross and I will both be healthy and in a place where we can try to take this trip again. But maybe not, and that’s ok. For now, I’m excited to help my friends prepare for their once in a lifetime trip and eagerly anticipate hearing every detail when they return.