When the Running Stops

I haven’t posted in a couple of days. I had been doing a lot of running. Running from work site to work site to meetings to church to stores to home and back to work to church and more meetings. And since I believe in giving 100% at anything I do, my running from duty to duty had pretty severe consequences. I paid for all of the running on Sunday. After cleaning the kitchen, teaching Sunday school, video and audio taping of the morning service, I came home and…went to sleep. I felt a little bad about sleeping all day Sunday, but what do you do when the running stops?

I probably won’t have this luxury once the baby arrives, so I took full advantage of a day-long rest. But in retrospect, what will I do when after running around gets me down and there’s a baby to take care? Kandis suggested that on those days I can call my parents and ask them if they “mind” babysitting for a few hours. But what do you do when the running stops?

I find myself thinking about different moments in my child’s life that I can’t miss. You know, first doctor’s appointment, first picture, first day of school, first steps. And I continue through the child’s life as if years are simple thoughts…graduation, learning to drive, school concerts.

But through all of this month and all of my running, the moment that came to my mind was teaching my child how to ride a bike. I want to do it. I want to take those training wheels off and coach him or her onto the seat, promise that protection and letting them know it will be o.k., trailing him or her down the sidewalk saying “You’re doing great!”

And after all of the practice and guidance, I find myself running behind the child, holding onto the bike and then…well,… I stop running. And I can see my child doing it own his or her own. I can see my child going on and on without me running…Huh!

So after the running stops, I guess life goes on….I can take the time to appreciate what I have. I guess I shouldn’t worry about what happens when the running stops because if I keep my balance, concentrate, and believe I can do it, I will be alright. Just like my child on the bike, sometimes I may fall, but I can get up. I may not do it right at first, but I can try and try again…huh!

I’ve learned something from a moment in my child’s life already.