Last Run

Friday December 31, 2010. Last day of the year. My last run of the last day of the year was 3 miles on a treadmill. I'm not a big fan of treadmill running. It's like a bad metaphor for a bad day: frenzied running but getting nowhere. But I did get some miles in, and I got to think about the year this run was capping. I survived cancer after prostate surgery in March. Linda and I helped a couple of family members survive the economic storm. My mom is like a cat on her ninth life, but she has survived when her doctors thought she was gone. I ran farther than I have ever run in my life: a half-marathon 9 weeks after surgery; and my first marathon in the fall. But the year also ended with a reminder of how fleeting this life is. Two local attorneys died in the last couple of days after battling cancer. Our professional colleagues and friends will gather in a few days to remember them. As I powered down the treadmill to a cool-off jog, my RETA t-shirt was soaked with sweat and my heart beat rapidly. I am glad to be able to run, even on a treadmill. I am glad to be able to make plans for the new year. And I pray that the new year will be about more than survival. Please pray for RETA and its ministry in 2011.