October 24, 2005
Today while driving to the gym, the road was partially closed because there were thousands of runners participating in the Nike Women’s Marathon and Half Marathon benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. I couldn’t help staring at awe at these women who sacrificed a Sunday morning to put their bodies under 26.2 miles of stress in dedication to those who died and suffer from cancer.
Last year I participated in that same run only I ran 12.1 miles instead of the full enchilada. If any of you know my track record, you know that I despise running- but I remember running last year not only for the cause, or the Tiffany necklace you get at the finish line.I ran because I encouraged my personal training client, Sally Hurst, to take on the running challenge, and it was seeing Sally’s inner strength and drive, that strengthened my spirit, to also challenge myself and perform the run too.
While I usually represent the motivating drive for others, in truth, it is others who supply the motivating drive within me.
This past week I also spent time in Virginia where I mourned the loss of my cousin Michael. As I prayed next to his lifeless body and held his cold, remote hand, I recognized that while he was not present in his physical form, he was still present in his spiritual form.
Like a star in the night sky, that appears to shine in the distant universe, the star is just a piece of matter: a rock what makes it shine is the light, the energy, the dark matter that gravitates all matter within our solar system.
Similar to that star in the sky, the energy and light that brought false appearance of life to a piece of dead matter as I gazed at Michael’s lifeless body, I felt like I was peering into the darkness of a dark night and seeing the hollowness yet vast greatness of a creation un-familiar yet familiar to me I could still feel his lively spirit, his light, and his love, a love and a beauty that was manifested and symbolized in the form of his physical matter.His body.
As I watched as family and friends cry, I realized that it wasn’t Michael’s physical death that brought us pain- because the physical material of his body still existed
It was losing the beauty of Michael’s spirit, a beauty manifested in his smile, his joy for music, his love to other sit was the loss of the beauty he gave to this world, that brought us pain.
It is remarkable how we all feed off each others spirits how we all give strength to each other how we all symbolize something through the habits we create. The greatest habit is the habit of love, of compassion and of service.
This week I witnessed the visible activity of our spirits through the beauty Marathon Runners sacrificed when they passionately overcame a physical challenge.and I also saw the invisible activity of our spirits through the beauty Michael’s spirit left behind in the tears of those who passionately loved him.
There is a balance between the visible and invisible life and death pain and joy idealism and realism. I fervently believe that when we reach this moment of balanced understanding is when we receive a piece of lifes secret.