handwritten on January 3, 2020
2 miles: I was so eager to skip running today, but I forced myself on the treadmill and decided to run two miles with an incline. I must say, usually, I am much more productive in my thinking and my running for that matter but today all I could think about was my dad smiling his soft smile with his bright eyes and warm heart. You see-today marks exactly two years in which he has been cancer free. And all statistics aside-this is the brightest miracle indeed. I think everyone in our family was waiting very impatiently for this week to come to a close to receive the news we were all hoping for. And sometimes we are so overwhelmed with pure joy- that image conquers all parts of our vision. ...
handwritten on January 2, 2020
3 miles: Well, we made it! A beautiful day in the classroom neighborhood it was. Certainly a bit sore and a bit tired afterwards, but tis Friday Eve and thus anything is possible. As I took on my miles tonight, I just kept thinking back to the difficulty of intentional footprints and that for all of us trying to create intentional footprints everyday...it really is hard! As of late, I thought back to just how many emails I have made trying to tie my footprints with someone else's footprints only to realize that we needed to reschedule time or perhaps that person was too busy. All this to say, sometimes it feels like we are simply chasing what seems to be the impossible connection. It's as...
handwritten on January 1, 2020
3 miles: Goodness. I made a vow to myself that I would get off the writing kick for 2020. However, after talking to close friends and family, I've decided to once again begin again. Thanks to my brilliant sister-in-law, she mentioned seeing life with 20/20 vision, and I thought to myself well this is just too good to not doing anything with it. Thus, a new blog for 2020 has begun with a bit of a different spin. Though whimsy is still very much a part of my everyday being, the newest challenge seeks to combine running and writing as I look though the lenses of 2020 with fresh eyes each and every day I am gifted. I tend to do my best thinking when I am running and thus the challenge will be...
handwritten on December 31, 2019
It's unbelievable to think that here I am/here we are exactly one year later from the day in which I started this project. I have mentioned that I have never felt more connected to the world due to my exploration of Whimsy. Reflection and thinking through words really does center your soul on the important-this I know for sure.
Exactly 294 now 295 journal entries have been created this year. I suppose I didn't make it to 365, but I certainly tried hard. Some weeks and days were busier than others-hence the missing days here and there. But overall, what a blessing waking up everyday and reflecting on the beauty of life has been.
A lot have asked me whether I will be continuing this project...
handwritten on December 29, 2019
Tonight we went to a pretty excellent and incredibly festive Christmas Pop-up in the city of Pittsburgh. There were hundreds of decorations hanging on the walls with a bit of laughter inside, music playing and the chill of the wind coming through the door from the outside.
And I suppose what is interesting about this popup phenomenon is embracing the unplanned and thinking about creating memories "on a whim." Whim is certainly part of whimsy, and I think it forces us to allow popups in our lives-realize that what is planned is not always what is best and attempt to sometimes go where our heart leads us as long as the lead is not dangerous.
I have always been a planner, but 2019 was a year...
