ALIVE

   DMan and I went this morning to cheer on his sister Barb in her first 5K. When we spotted her, she looked so ALIVE:  cheeks flushed scarlet from exertion; breath spurting white like locomotive puffs in the frosty air; arms and legs pumping fierce; a huge smile on her face before she even saw us. She knew she was almost there, almost ready to cross the finish line of a goal she'd been working toward for a long time. All of the participants -- marathoners and half-marathoners, grade-school kids, seniors, parents pushing strollers, even one guy running with bare feet -- had that same ALIVE look, that there was no place else they'd rather be, nothing else they'd rather be doing at barely eight o'clock on a cold Sunday morning than kicking butt on a goal they'd set for themselves. It didn't matter that they might be sucking air and sweating and tired, they were DOING IT in a big way. It was beautiful and inspiring to see.
   Congrats to Barb and all who ran or walked on your accomplishment! And wishing everyone out there something in your day that takes your breath away, makes your heart throb with excitement, and makes you tickled to be ALIVE.