31 Days of Candids, 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes, Writing

31 Days: Let’s Move

October 1, 2014 by Bethany No Comments

I heard about the 31 Days Writing Challenge last year, but it didn’t seem like something I could do. I was sure I’d fail. But this year I’ve decided to take a chance and try. If I fail, well I guess I’m OK with that.

I’m joining a subgroup of the challenge called 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes, which is an off shoot of Five Minute Friday which was originally started by Lisa Jo Baker and is now hosted by Kate Motaung. But to give it my own little twist, I’ll also be doing what I’m called 31 Days of Candids. I’ll be taking pictures of my kids every day for 31 days.

A couple years ago we finally invested in a good digital SLR camera. But also around that time with our two crazy kids, we were so busy that we often forgot to take pictures of our kids except on special occasions like birthday and Christmas. But I wanted to do a better job of capturing the candid moments of these days, beautiful and yet crazy as they are. Sometimes the posts and pictures will coordinate beautifully, other times they probably won’t. Today’s post was inspired by an unintentional week off from running training and an afternoon with my kids at the park.

Move

I didn’t run last week. And I ate pie. No particular reason. Well, yes, I was tired, but I’m often tired. I was worn out and run down and just didn’t want to go. So I didn’t. A whole week with no running for the first time in a month.

I know I need to move. The longer I don’t, the easier it is not to. Because I don’t just want to move, I want to be inspired to move; to breathe deeper, to feel my body pushing its limits ever so gently. To feel exhilarated but not sore. But last week wasn’t exhilaration.

It began with busyness and good intentions, and ended with grief and relief. Life and death are like that. So today I promise to move. Maybe I’ll actually get my morning workout in become the kids wake up and interrupt me or go for my evening run. I don’t really want to, but I think I need to. To feel, to breath and push just a little harder, proving that life doesn’t stop, even when sometimes I wish it would, at least for a while.

It is so easy for them. They run, jump and roll without thinking about the energy it will take. They wear me down and tire me out, but when I let the rest of it all fall away, I let myself really see into their world, I want to move as well.