your running a marathon!!! are you *&^%$#@)

As Dawnie came closer and closer to getting her work outs and conditioning that sleek muscular body of hers I thought to myself she is really going to do this and of course she is crazy right! Well knowing that her ultimate goal was not just to run a marathon but on her first attempt to finish and to qualify for the Boston Marathon her time needed to be 3 hours and 40 minutes. I have neighbors that have been running a long time and they also have tried to qualify for the Boston run, she is the same age as Dawnie and her best time after 3 attempts was 4 hours and 15 minutes. she told me that what Dawnie had done was exceptional and that I should be very proud of her.....needless to say that upon hearing that I swelled with pride knowing that I had such a strong willed daughter who would not accept less that her goal.
Many people run for a lot of reasons including my son Adam and my other daughter Robyn and as I mentioned earlier Why, well I think that a marathon or any race for that matter is like life. Life is not a race of a short distance by any means unlike a 100 yard dash or a 220 sprint, a marathon is long and you have to pace yourself as you go making sure that you don't get too fast and maintain a steady speed this way you can have a kick or a burst at the end.
There is something noble and inspirational about testing the limits of human endurance, and of fighting against all odds.
In all of our lives we come against obstacles and like when runners refer to hitting the wall we all have to dig down and say that we are going to beat this....and we are going to finish. Sometimes we need to realize that we have to rely on extra strength or power to get through these obstacles that come into our lives. In the bible it says that
"....But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
In all that we do, we need to press forward always looking forward toward the finish line with a positive attitude, many of these qualities has been developed in our little Dawnie she has taught me a great lesson in life, never doubt yourself, if you are prepared and have a positive attitude you can accomplish many great things, never give up, believe in yourself no matter what outside influence may be saying or telling you. If she can accomplish what she did then it gives us all hope for a better life and relationships with our families and friends. I hope that all who read this can feel a little of my feelings toward her and all my children, they are all special to me, they are all wonderful parents along with their spouses. It's been a great week to be the patriarch of this family.
Remember unlike the marathon............. at end of our lives here we will look forward to receiving more than just a Tee Shirt.......
DAD