ITS AN INTERESTING OBSERVATION AS WE GET OLDER US BABY BOOMERS ...THAT SOMEHOW WE ENTER THE ROLE REVERSAL PHASE OF OUR LIVES...WHEN WE WERE BABY'S..OUR MOTHERS LOOKED AFTER US..NOURISHED US...CARED FOR US ....FED US ...CHANGED OUR NAPPIES..ETC..ETC..
TODAY THAT ROLE HAS CHANGED FOR ME...AND NO DOUBT FOR MANY MANY OTHERS....I HAVE THE HONOURED ROLE OF SOLE CARER FOR MY DEAR MOTHER WHO IS NOW EIGHTY YEARS OLD...SHE'S NOT THE SPRIGHTLY EIGHTY YEAR OLD GRANNY YOU SEE SITTING IN THE PARK FEEDING THE PIDGEONS....SHE IS BED
RIDDEN...ALTZHIMERS...DEMENTIA....BOWEL CANCER...ALL HAVE TAKEN THEIR TOLL AND THE ONCE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN HAS BEEN RELEGATED TO A HELL OF SECLUSION IN A BED AS A WRINKLED OLD LADY WHERE SADLY SHE DOES NOT WANT TO BE...SOME DAYS SHE WONDERS THE HOUSE CALLING MY NAME OR THE NAME OF MY FARTHER NOW SINCE GONE OR THAT OF MY SON WHO DIED NINE YEARS AGO...ITS A SAD SAD END TO A WONDERFUL JOURNEY.
CARING FOR HER IS A FULL TIME JOB...MAKING MEALS...CUPS OF TEA...CLEANING...BATHING....TALKING...AND WATCHING AS SHE DESCENDS DEEPER INTO A WORLD EVEN SHE IS NOT AWARE OF..I AM GRATEFUL I HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REPAY A LIFE...
I ONLY SHARE THIS STORY WITH YOU TO HOPEFULLY GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE ON THE REASONS I RUN....I DO SO FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T...LIKE MY MOTHER...FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THE WILL TO FACE THE WORLD EACH DAY AND TAKE ANOTHER STEP...I RUN FOR THEM.
FORTUNATELY FOR ME MY SON MICHAEL IS THERE AS MY BACK UP WHEN I NEED TO RUN OR WHEN SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS TAKE ME INTERSTATE...HE IS MY ROCK...AND HE IS ONLY TWENTY TWO.
SO WHEN I TELL YOU THAT ON SATURDAY I RAN FOUR TENTHS OFF MY PERSONAL BEST TIME...AND THAT I SURVIVED IT UNINJURED TO RACE ANOTHER DAY...YOU MAY HAVE SOME IDEA OF THE COMMITTMENT IT TAKES TO WAKE UP EACH MORNING AND SAY..." Its a Beautiful Day...and I have the opportunity to do something Brilliant."
As always my Brilliance to YOU....John
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