Missing Practice

So I can honestly say that today I missed my fist practice on accident. Yes, I had missed practices before with the group for “reasons” but this morning I literally slept in. I do remember waking up at 4:50 and looking at my watch and thinking “ok, in 10 minutes”. Well the ten minutes turned in to an hour and some, and by the time I got up I am sure everyone at practice was swimming to their hearts content. I did feel shyt for a sec but turned around hugged Tequila (my dog) and got some shut eye. The practices have actually really been wearing on my body. Sore wise it sucks, but the whole point of me blogging on a Thursday is that part of my reason for sleeping in was that I made it late to bed. I had an amazing surprise yesterday- Jen, one of the loves in my life- and I will explain why - came into Austin and I got to see her. It was only about a two hour visit after track practice and after a long hello full of kisses and hugs and me saying “touch my legs look how hard they are” and her “yeah, I have been going to the gym too, look at mine” … talking about Cadiz, and her having an opportunity to go back to Spain, the peace core and a myriad of other things, she told me she had recently gotten a chance to read through the blog and the triathlon mission I have embarked on. Let me just say that Jen is a shy person when you meet her and for the whole trip in Spain I was lucky if I got a tad bit of affection- we all know I always show and verbalize that I care- to the point I might freak my teammates and coaches out because I say goodbye with “love you” for the simple fact that I actually do, not the way I love my mom or my dad, but a very singular way- the way I love them- it always surprises me that the more I love the more I want to love, it is an amazing feeling. Nonetheless, when we finally got back to the States, besides Amanda and Sarah (my other loves- I love all my past student but they are the ones I stay in more contact with), I have been fortunate to stay in touch with Jen, know how she is and see her every time possible. Well last night while we sat on the sofa at Gingerman and contemplated my wearing long socks with shorts and how they made me look like a grandpa- coincidently being my grandpa’s socks- she told me the story of her being faced with cancer. Not as a patient, but as a spectator and the hopelessness one feels and how she was behind me and rooting. Of course, what she didn’t realize as she told me is that her story has just added more fuel to my fire, seeing her have to look away because she just might cry, (as I openly did) reminds me that this is probably one of the most worthy causes I have been involved in. Cancer took her 17 year old cousin from her, way to early. Although she had previously been diagnosed she was in remission and she was able to go on a trip to Las Vegas with other cancer patients. When she came back home on a routine check up she had what she believed was a pimple above her eyebrow, it wasn’t – it was a tumor. Jen, told me about the day they called and they said come to the hospital. And she thought that she had done this every month and that her cousin, at seventeen, would not go away. She was too young. Jen told me about her mom saying to her “go talk to her” and her thinking she is asleep… but going just the same because she felt she had to. That time her cousin did wake up, and Jen told her she had to fight, get up, get going. And her cousin smiled and looked at her, said she was fine she would be fine. Jen was happy, elated almost, because when things like that happen, when they, the patients you love ,look at you, as my grandpa did, and say- yea, we will be fine- you believe it. Her cousin passed away shortly after.

I guess this is a reminder; you have to treasure life as much as possible. Say I love you as much as possible. Make every moment count.

Thanks Jen, for being part of my life. I LOVE YOU!