Accepting the Invitation

For the past month or so, I've been going for morning walk/runs. Just after 7am. Every other day. The consistency of this routine has added a sense of normalcy and is a balm for the anxiety caused by ongoing uncertainty. Something to anchor the day.

Yesterday, around 6am, it started to rain, hard. Hurricane Isaias was moving up the coast and was expected to brush past us by late afternoon. I gave up on any chance of going for a run. I had conceded that it would be an “inside, under a blanket, on the computer all day” kind of day.

Then, just after 7—as if on cue—the rain stopped. The clouds parted just enough to reveal that the rain had moved along for the time being. I was a bit surprised by how quickly I shifted gears, no overthinking. I got up, put on my clothes, laced up my running shoes and headed out the door—this routine engrained in me now. It’s more natural to do it than to not do it.

I didn't spend a lot of time analyzing whether the timing was a coincidence or by design—a message from the heavens, perhaps? Instead, I simply accepted the invitation.

This morning my son looked out the window. Blue skies. Sunshine. "It looks like a totally different day, Mom."

Another invitation. One day at a time. That's how I'm making it these days.