Don't Make Change too Complicated: Just Begin!




Saturday, May 19, 2012

Born to Be Alive! A Mission Moment.

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It was a wild morning. It all started when her little boy cat Latte decided to wake her  up at 3:30am when she was trying to sleep in.  Even for Cece ,who is an early riser, 3:30 am is early.  Latte was relentless.  First he gently head butted to get under the overs, then he pawed her butt, then he breathed on her ankle, then he pawed the back of her neck, then he nipped her ankle!  Cece dealt with this until 4:30 when she finally got up.

She milled around for a while and decided that after her chai tea, she would get dressed and go out early to do her grocery shopping. She looked at several shirts  and could not decide what to wear. Finally, she  chose to put on a hot pink tie dyed Team in Training T-shirt and off she went.

Cece did her shopping and was finishing up in the vegetable aisle.  She was by the tomatoes and fruit when she noticed a woman.  She came up and stood directly in front of Cece...just staring.  She did not say anything.  Cece asked her if she needed her to move ...she thought maybe she wanted tomatoes.  The woman said no.  Cece then realized the woman was reading her T-shirt.  The woman started crying and told  Cece that her mom had died from Leukemia and now her sister has it.  She said, there is no hope.  We have cancer  in our family.

There in the grocery aisle at some horrific time in the morning, Cece told the woman the story of her family's  cancer history.  She told the woman there is hope.  She spoke to the woman about Team in Training and how it raises money for cancer research and that most of the money that is raised goes directly to fund cancer research."There is hope," Cece told the woman.  You can do something positive yourself by getting involved...there are walking ,running and  cycling  programs that you can get involved in.  Cece gave her the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's name.
The woman listened and Cece noticed the woman's husband was listening  too.  Cece asked the woman, "Can I hug you?  Can you hear me saying there is hope...right here and right now in the vegetable aisle?"   The woman said, yes, she .."now knows there is hope."  Cece and the woman hugged surrounded by tomatoes and raspberries..

This is why we are born to be alive.  We are born to take risks.  We are  born to challenge ourselves....because you never know...in that  one moment when your cat wakes you up early, and you cannot decide what shirt  to wear out shopping,....that you will put on the exact shirt that someone needs to see and read and process...and you might give hope or encouragement or a gift...to a stranger that is in need..

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Summer Games! Time to Set New Goals!



Just Sayin' !  Cece has never seen so many fit good looking men in one place as she did at the 50+ Games Cycling Time Trials.
After she put her tongue back in, she read the goals of the NM Senior Olympics:
  • To improve and maintain health and wellness of senior adults 50+
  • Focus attention on the importance of regular exercise and constructive activity
  • Celebrate the vitality of life through example and create an awareness of opportunities that promote a healthy lifestyle
  • Provide competitive athletic and recreational experience at Local, State and National Levels.
Which reminded Cece that she had better think real hard about what her goals will be in the next 10 weeks before she leaves for Las Cruces.  These men and women are serious athletes and competitors!   Ten weeks is not very long and the competition is fierce.  What could she accomplish in 10 weeks?  Certainly she could not cut her time down 20 minutes!  The winner in her age category raced 20 full minutes faster than Cece.

This next competition is a road race.  Cece has watched road races, but  has never raced in one.  As a matter of fact, this was Cece's first competition.

As she got home from the race, she put herself in a hot bath of epsom salts and contemplated WHY she should go to race again at the State Competition. She did not have to go even though she qualified.   She could play it safe and chalk this race up to a good try and move on.  Why should she go?  Why should she spend the money on travel and food and lodging and mileage?  Why should she go?   Was winning the goal?  Then,  she should just stay home she reasoned.  She asked herself if there was another reason she should go. 

 She was just about literally contemplating her navel.

Out of the tub, she read the thick booklet that was the registration packet for the games.  Room, board and entry fee reasonable.  Parking free.  Shuttle buses to events.  A map so she could find her way.  Opening ceremony with a parade of athletes...social afterwards. She could watch other competitions.....

She thought and thought.  Finally it came to her.

The reason she will go to Las Cruces is to continue to increase her health.  The reason is to set  personal goals that she can achieve in 10 weeks.  The reason is to measure herself against herself with the motivation and thrill of a competition...to see what SHE is made of.  To see how much she can suffer and still come out the other end...

.AND she heard the hill is not as bad in Las  Cruces!