This week we’ve been enjoying spring! Brady seems to really enjoy going for walks and loves looking around at what is going on around him. I just like being able to soak up some sun and get out of the house! Spring is so encouraging, as we see greenery pop up, the blue sky contrast with white clouds and let the warm breeze touch skin that has been hiding under layers of clothing for too long. Everything feels more alive, and it makes me feel that way as well.
About two and a half years ago, I was training for the Chicago Marathon with my dad when I injured myself playing church league softball and re-tore my ACL as well as tearing cartilage off the bone. I was devastated, knowing that I couldn’t run the marathon in October, but having been through this before I thought I’d be able to handle it. 9 months into my rehab, I started running again and felt a crack through my knee. My doctor told me that I’d never be able to run again, and that the only other option surgically was to shave my hip down to re-align my entire leg. Not wanting to have that surgery, I tried to wrap my head around this new reality. That was really the hardest time- giving up something that I loved to do because I couldn’t physically perform anymore. I felt like a huge part of what made me happy was gone, and I just felt sorry for myself. I tried different workouts, but none of them were as mentally and physically gratifying. After Brady was born, it was a struggle enough for me to feel like I needed to get my baby weight off, but to not be able to run it off was so much harder.
A few months ago I was on the elliptical when I just felt so good, I thought, let’s just run and see how it feels. Well, aside from being out of shape and a little stiff, it felt great! Now I run after work or on my lunch break in a forest preserve near my office; I feel as though I’ve reclaimed my time and have a calm that floods through the busy pace of a normal day...it’s so liberating!
Brady’s first birthday is coming up on June 10th. This year has sort of felt like my two years without running; it hasn’t been awful, but it hasn’t been the greatest either. We have been loved and blessed by a little boy, but sometimes it's hard to stay focused on the blessings in our life instead of the hard times that come with having expectations and schedules radically altered. Now that we’re past his surgery though, and we’re really settling into a life in our new home, I feel so free! I see such a difference in our happy little boy, and it’s incredibly encouraging.
We decided to run a 5k as a family the day before his birthday in support of GiGi’s Playhouse, a local Down syndrome awareness center. They offer free classes and a community for families who are impacted by Down syndrome- Brady’s first playgroup is on May 15th! We are so excited to get to know people who have walked this path ahead of us and to someday be in support of someone who might be in our same position. If you’d like to join us for the walk/run on June 9th, we'd love to have you! I’ve attached the link below- you can join The Brady Bunch (haha, corny, I know)! If you can’t make the run, would you considering donating any amount of money? GiGi’s Playhouse operates free of charge to families, which we really appreciate, given all of the extra costs Brady’s healthcare has incurred this year.
I’m really excited for this run- my favorite pastime and my favorite little man? There are few things on this earth that make me quite as happy!
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