Sun, Clouds, Love

Deep pink at the horizon,

      Burnt orange above,

That one pointed out,

                  More of a peach color

                  In the next layer in the sky,

And finally darker colors

High in the sky

                              As we run along the harbor

        Early on a cool but not cold

                              Mid-fall morning. 

As the sun comes up

And the air warms,

      The colors turn

      To shades of baby blue

                Streaked across the sky,

As another observed.

Our conversation was as warm

As the rising sun

      And as varied

As the colors across the sky.

And throughout the morning

      There were wispy clouds,

      As the third noticed.

Early on, small clouds on the horizon

Like the bodies of little bugs

With many legs under them.

Later, spanning the entire sky.

Light and airy clouds,

Not bringing rain,

But making art in the sky.

Out conversation was light

And carried the art of life

Like the clouds.

A beautiful morning

For beautiful friendships

And wonderful conversation

About our many colored

Sometimes wispy lives.

But one thing is not wispy

But serious as all get out—

How we treat friends and family

With the love like the sun and clouds show

For life on the earth.

My Impressions on Easter Morning

I have not written about the celebration of Easter this year.  I rose hoping to get some pictures of a glorious sunrise over a body of water in the city I love on a half marathon distance run with lots of time for reflection by myself.  I achieved almost all those goals.  The main thing I did not achieve was the glorious sunrise pictures as the weather did not cooperate.  Instead I got a series of impressionistic pictures of the reflection on Lake Montebello.  Not bad for the morning.  But not capturing the glorious mystery of Easter morning.

However, that did not mean that I didn't have a chance to ponder the meaning.  My run was a good one.  I averaged 8:14 miles.  My route took me around past the post office and the old grocery story, down the Alameda, down Loch Raven, across 33rd, down Old York Rd to Greenmount, down to 25th, across 25th to Harford, up to Hillen, around Lake, up Hillen, and returning to where I began.  Areas of the city past many churches.  Not many areas that are in really bad condition, but many reminders that not everyone in Baltimore is as comfortable as I am.   

The reason I run a half marathon on Easter morning actually ties in with the Biblical text.  There were two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus who met a stranger, continued the walk with the stranger, and ate a meal with the stranger.  As the story goes, the stranger turned out to be Jesus, whom they disciples recognized because of his actions.  Being recognizable because of the consistency and integrity of my actions is something I always aspire to. The relationship to a half marathon is that some scholars estimate that the distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus was about 1/4 of a marathon.  After the disciples recognized Jesus, the story goes that he disappeared and they disciples ran back to Jerusalem. So, I figure if they went a half marathon between the walk and run, I can run a  half marathon to reflect on what went on.  

Of course, Easter Sunday only happened because of the crucifixion on Good Friday.  My second tattoo helps me remember an important aspect of Good Friday that went along with the crucifixion but focused on another character in the story--Mary Magdalene. She was there when Jesus died, followed the men who took his body to a tomb, saw the stone rolled in from the of the tomb, and (according to at least one Gospel) stayed when everyone else left.  To me, that speaks of being present for someone you love in a way that few other actions could.  

And Good Friday followed the Holy Thursday dinner in which Jesus washed his apostles feet.  A symbol of a leader thinking of how to serve those he was leading. A powerful way to build loyalty and a sense of team.

So, while I will still go to church later and continue to reflect on the messages that the priest will share, my Easter Sunday experience of reflection that only requires thinking about the stories rather than having faith began long before I will enter St Pius X church.  

40 Days to Better: Day 32

This morning I could have chosen not to run.  In fact, at one point on Facebook, on the site of a friend who talked about her own tempo run and asked how many miles people were going, I commented that I may take the day off.  I didn't.  I ran a simple 3.2 miles.  Used to be--when I drove to join a group to run three or four times a week--that I didn't think that anything less than 4 miles was worth it.  Now, I run 3 or so on a regular basis.  Partly because I don't need to drive.  Partly because I feel like I just have less time.

The run came after doing some work, washing dishes, walking the dog, and making bagels (not in that order).  I paid for it with a little fading in the middle of the day but had a very nice class that I taught this evening.

What did I learn from my experience in the universe today?  I'd like to put in terms of a free form poem:

This morning I could have chosen not to run.
This morning I could have chosen not to go in a 3.2 mile loop.
This morning I could have chosen another 26 minutes of something else.
But if I had, I would have missed so many things.
I would have missed the opportunity to see the city come alive.
I would have missed the beautiful color of the sky before the sun rises.
I would have missed the opportunity to use my legs for more than I do the rest of the day.
I would have missed the opportunity to breathe deeply and fully.
I would have missed the uphills.
I would have missed the downhills.
I would have missed the sweat that runs down my face when I make an effort.
I would have missed the experience of engaging fulling all my senses in life.
And that would be sad.
This morning I could have chosen not to run.
But I didn't.
And life is good.

The key for me is that this is not just about running.  There are many choices I make in life.  I can choose to do or choose not to do many things.  I can choose not to engage.  I can choose to disengage.  But every time I make such a choice I miss an opportunity to experience life fully.  I should stop making such choices and engage fully in the life I lead with the people I have chosen (or been blessed) to lead it with.  

The idea of choosing to do rather than not do is not something to be taken lightly.  It is something to be cherished and enjoyed.  And the joy of the experience should be shared.