Rudy

When our middle son was younger, his nickname was Rudy, after the character from the movie with the same name. Sean Astin stars as a young kid whose dream is to go to Notre Dame as that his family's team. However, he is a short kid and really does not fit for the "Fighting Irish's" tradition for football players. After getting through one obstacle after another and wanting to quit because he was promised to get the chance to suit up (not play) on the last game of the season and the new coach decides not uphold the previous coach's promise to Rudy. My favorite part is when the entire team decides to turn in their jersey so that Rudy can suit up. Every single member of that team was willing to give up their spot for that onegame so this kid who had devoted everything to this team could have one chance to just stand on the sidelines. One. How much committment does it take to give your all, getting beat up and thrown around, and knowing full well that you will never see the field? More than most of us would care to admit. Even on our best days. Do you know a Rudy? Perserverance, dedication and committment are such strong qualities that we sometimes do not realize how big they are until we see them all grouped together. Until adversity comes our way and we truly find out where our courage and strength come from. It comes from places we cannot find because we are looking for it. It is something we are born with, even when we don't know it. Rudy gets more than he bargained for when with the persuading crowd chanting his name, the coach puts him in the game for the last two plays of the game. Probably even more amazing is that this is a true story. Be your own Rudy - show people what you are made of and are willing to do to see your dreams come true. They will happen not without struggle and downfall, but only after those things come to the surface. Don't ever give up - be a Rudy!!!!

Don't ever give up

Do we feel like we have to keep trying? At whatever it is we are trying to accomplish? I think we do. I know I can be stubborn at times (good thing my husband does not read this) and have to keep striving for more. Most of the time, I don't ever feel like I can just give up. Sometimes, things do not go the way we want them to, but we forget that our way is not always The Way. I still push myself to run about 5-6 days a week, even though I am not trying to accomplish a weight loss goal and training for a race. Somedays, I walk and talk with my friend and that is always fun, too. On the days that I run alone, that is when I have quiet time for me when I can plan out my day and focus on still trying to run. It still amazes me that even my goal is over, I still cannot wait to start my day and run. The last two mornings, I have been up at about 4:30am. Don't ask me why - I do not have an answer. It is so refreshing to be outside and work hard and then you have the rest of the day. I used to love sleeping in - now I can't. My idea of sleeping in is getting up at 6am on a day I don't have to get up. I read a quote a few months ago that says, " You should feel that being you is enough." When I struggle with thoughts of needing to be better than I was before, I have to remind myself of that quote. I also read that as ..."difficult as it is to forgive others, it is more difficult to forgive ourselves." It is hard to do both - don't ever give up, but also remember to forgive ourselves if we fall short. We know we will fall short sometimes, and sometimes we will make it. Everyone wants to be around when we make it. We also know that when we do fall short, we have others that will pick us up and encourage us to never give up. Those people are true friends. Find those people in your life and keep them close - they want to be around for the good, but also in case the bad and the ugly come around too. Have a tubular Tuesday! (The California girl came out in me this morning - sorry! :-))