They are still watching

​Five years ago today - these two boys standing at the finish line of my first marathon. Waiting and watching.

Tomorrow I'll run marathon number 6. These two guys won't be there. They no longer have much interest in standing around all day waiting for their old man to lumber across a finish line. They've grown weary of asking, why on earth do you do this?

Don't worry boys - I'll take over for you - I'll be asking myself that question all day tomorrow.... 😂🤷‍♂️.

I suppose this past year, more than ever, I've been reminded that they are indeed watching.

Last night, we were driving home from dinner. Elliott told me, "we already have our Christmas tree up."

I said, "well, I don't have mine up yet."

He said, joking - "my guess is, you won't have one up."

Only - he wasn't joking. That was his quiet, and maybe somewhat unknowing way, of saying I'm watching. I'm hanging over this rail of life watching you run to the finish line. There may be days you want to believe the race is over - but I'm still watching.

He is right. I would not have put up a Christmas tree. But now I know he's watching.

So add to my to do list: get a Christmas tree....

Here in a few hours, I'm going to get to hang out with many of the people who ran across that first marathon finish line with me. I had no idea that day - NONE - lumbering across that finish line - just how many of them would be the people 5 years later reminding me my boys are watching.

I had no idea how many of them would daily show up, telling me - I don't care how hard it is, you need to stand up and show up.

I had no idea how many of them would be reminding me: you need to get a Christmas tree.

The good news is, I have some time to get that tree.

The bad news is - I'm quickly running out of time to figure out how to get across the finish line of marathon number 6.

There are some things I'm glad the boys will NOT be watching!!