No Cause Necessary!

Here lately it seems that everyone, myself included, wants to help and support people who are involved in a specific cause... like all of the efforts to raise money for cancer research, or children's hospitals, or diabetes, or this-or-that kind of tragedy. But I think we often forget the opportunities we have each and every single day to honor those that aren't capable of doing the things we can do. We whine and complain and look for excuses not to take care of ourselves - I'm too tired, I have a headache, I just don't feel like it, I know this isn't healthy but I'm going to do it anyway... and so on. I decided today that I no longer need a formally organized event to champion the cause of health and wellness. I don't need to wait for the Race for the Cure to honor my dear friend Andrea who has suffered through the darkness of breast cancer. I don't need to wait for the next PanCan walk to honor my great aunt, and second cousin who were all ravaged by pancreatic cancer. I don't need to wait for an American Cancer Society race to honor my sweet uncle who was taken from us way too soon by esophagus cancer. I don't need to wait for the Tour de Cure to honor my grandpa, my uncle and my stepdad who struggle every day with diabetes. Instead, every single day that I can wake up and move forward on my own two feet, I am going to be grateful that I can do all the things I complain about. I am going to run with commitment, pedal with determination, and swim with resolve, because I have been blessed with the ability to do it. I know that all of the people who can't would give anything to be able to depend on their own bodies, and it would be such a shame to waste the gifts I've been given - it would be dishonoring to those beautiful people. You know, I think it's funny how God works - His ways are so mysterious. He must have known I needed a reality check and reminder that I should be grateful that it hurts when I run because I have 2 legs to run on, and that I can only go 11-12mph on my bike even though I'm pedaling for all I'm worth because I have 2 arms and 2 legs to operate the bike, and that I feel like I'm going to pass out when I swim sprints because I have 2 arms & 2 legs with which to propel myself through the water, even though I look like an "angry squirrel". I've been listening to my ipod alot lately, and it has a ton of music on it from various sources - Kurt actually preloaded it for me, LOL! But these two songs keep coming up... The first is Melissa Ethridge with "I Run For Life": and the second is Rob Thomas with "Her Diamonds"... I've tried to link to YouTube, but if they are having problems you won't see the links to the videos :( Anyway, they hit me so close to home. They remind me that I have a duty every single day to honor God for blessing me with good health and a strong heart and a duty to honor all of those who are not able to enjoy the things that I call "torture". I won't be waiting anymore on any organized "cause" to motivate me - I am going to sim, bike, and run in tribute to my loved ones and everyone else's loved ones who can't. I will keep them with me every day and do my very best not to take anything for granted. I am going to swim, bike, and run for life every single time and do my best to endure the pain & struggle, because one day it just might be my own life and sickness that someone else is running for. Andrea, Tim, Betty, Jim, Robert, and Jerry - you're with me always!