A Whole New World!

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

I hope everyone had an incredible long relaxing weekend! Our weekend was somewhat eventful and we certainly enjoyed the extra day off school and work. I had my 16 mile run finished by 8:00am yesterday. It's hard for me to get up so early but it is so worth it when I have the whole day a head of me and I don't have the long run hanging over my head. My back is still giving me a little trouble but I will tough it out and I am off to some physical therapy tomorrow. I am hoping with some weight lifting, proper stretching and some PT, that I will be able to continue my mission of running marathons in all 50 states. Many people and many situations have motivated me to continue my journey. This past weekend is no exception!

Yesterday my family went to the annual Kaskaskia Picnic in Kaskaskia, IL. This is where my Dad grew up and farmed for over 30 years. Every year we celebrate my Mom's Birthday after we take in a few fun-filled hours at the picnic. Many of my relatives come to the picnic for a quasi family reunion. It is interesting for me to see all my retired aunts and uncles enjoy each others company. It has just been recently that I started really thinking about growing older and that I to will some day be retired. What will my life have been like when I look back? My Dad's siblings make up a lawyer, nurse anethesist, salesman and a teacher. It is interesting looking back how they lived their lives and raised their children. In the end they are all here at the picnic enjoying each others company. It makes me think how I am living my life. Even though some of my Dads siblings lived a much more luxurious life than some of the others, they all seem to be at the same place at this moment in time. They are trying to savor every moment with the ones they love and get as much enjoyment out of the remaining years of their life. It seems that after you reach a certain age you enter into "A Whole New World."

Today is Labor Day. A day for picnics, BBQ's, shopping, visiting friends, doing fun activities with the family. On Saturday evening my son and daughter were wrestling on the couch and my daughter bumped her nose on my son's head. There was bleeding and crying. Today we realized my daughters nose may be broken. Her nose had swollen quite a bit and she was still in a lot of pain so off to the ER I took my daughter on Labor Day. After an X-ray and a doctor's consultation, she appears to have deviated her septum in her nose. Tomorrow we get a referral to an ENT Doctor. Isn't it amazing how life throws you curves...We are very worried about Katie's nose but know she will be just fine. As we sat there in the ER I read a book written about Dick and Rick Hoyt. A father who successful completed the Hawaii Ironman with his son who was born with cerebral palsy, a non-vocal quadriplegic. An unbelievable story how he tethered himself to a rubber dinghy and tow his son 2.4 miles in the Pacific Ocean, strapped him to a seat on a custom built bicycle and pedalled 112 miles and pushed his son 26.2 miles in a running chair to complete the "Super Bowl of Triathlons." A story about love, patience, courage and determination. As I sat there I thought no matter what the obstacles in my life, we all should be able to look at this story and draw courage from it to help us with the hurdles in our life. Sometimes we have things happen in our lives that create; "A Whole New World." When we get married, have children, witness death, tragedy, divorce, success, failure, happiness and sadness. There are many worlds within our world. We all learn from them and with any luck become better people to help ourselves and help others carry on.

My daughter Katie was playing the piano tonight and it only took me a minute to interpret the song she was playing so eloquently...A Whole New World. As I conclude this blog I will leave you with a short excerpt from the song and let your heart and your mind take you away to wherever you want to be.... "A whole new world. Don't you dare close your eyes, a hundred thousand things to see. Hold your breath-it gets better. I'm like a shooting star. I've come so far. I can't go back to where I used to be. A whole new world, every turn a surprise. With new horizons to purse. Every moment red-letter. I'll chase them anywhere. There's time to spare. Let me share this whole new world with you."

Enjoy ever moment.

Live your dreams,

KB