WAHOOOO...

THAT'S AS GOOD A TITLE AS ANY, AFTER FINISHING A WHOPPING 18 MILE RUN THIS MORNING! DID I MENTION THE SECOND HALF WAS RUNNING DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND...HELLO. OK, WE'RE NOT VERY GOOD AT NAVIGATING.

KRISTI, MY FRIEND, AND I WERE IN IT FOR THE WHOLE 18. JEN AND T-BONE SAW US THROUGH THE FIST 7. THEN, CATHY PICKED US UP FOR 6 OR 7 OF THE MIDDLE MILES.

KRISTI AND I SHARED AND SWAPPED INFORMATION ON KIDS' BEHAVIORS (SHE'S A MOM OF THREE, TOO!), PACIFIER USE, SCHOOLS, KIDS' DIETS, AND SO ON...

BUT, THEN TOWARDS THE FINAL MILES, KRISTI ASKED ME ABOUT HOW I GOT THROUGH THE NIGHT BEFORE MY SURGERY AND HOW AND IF I FOUND PEACE IN THOSE MOMENTS LEADING UP TO SURGERY. I COULD'VE TAKEN HER ANOTHER 20 MILES, IN ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS...

I WILL SAY THAT PEACE WAS A HARD-FOUGHT GIFT. IT DID NOT COME EASY. I ONCE WROTE THAT I "PRETENDED TO BE BRAVE, UNTIL I FELT BRAVE." HONESTLY, PEACE CAME, FOR ME, THROUGH MY FAITH...THROUGH PRAYER...THROUGH BELIEVING.

THE EVENING BEFORE SURGERY, WHILE DREW SLEPT, I SAT ON THE COUCH IN OUR HOTEL ROOM AND JOURNALED MY PRAYERS, MY BLESSINGS AND MY WISHES. I WEPT AND WILLED FOR PEACE.

AND, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT HAVING PEACE WAS WITHIN MY CONTROL. IT'S A CHOICE. THE SURGICAL OUTCOME WAS NOT IN MY CONTROL. MY FATE WAS ULTIMATELY NOT IN MY CONTROL. BUT, CHOOSING TO RELY ON MY FAITH FOR PEACE WAS A CHOICE. I CHOSE TO BELIEVE RATHER THAN BECOME BITTER.

I FEEL LIKE MY JOURNEY HAS MIRRORED TRAINING FOR A MARATHON, IN MANY WAYS. I'M A LONG WAY FROM THE FINISH LINE, FOR SURE. MY SIGHT IS STILL A MAJOR ISSUE. I WISH I COULD SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF HOW I SEE.

AT ANY RATE, LIKE MY RECOVERY JOURNEY, MY MARATHON TRAINING JOURNEY IS ACCOMPLISHED TAKING ONE STEP AT A TIME WITH A GRATEFUL AND PEACEFUL, ALBEIT POUNDING, HEART!