And then, all hell broke loose.
Which, to be honest, is the start of a really great story.
At the time, it felt like the end. It felt like that was the way the story - my story - would conclude. Every sadness the world could offer was served up, buffet-style, on a plate heaped with grief and loss. Self-awareness allowed me to acknowledge the depression I was in, but I didn't always have the tools to work through it. I tried, but I needed time.
Apparently the amount of time would be measured in years. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll ever be done working through it. For my sisters and I, between losing our father, having to place our brother in a group home, and having his care be something less than we'd hoped for during those first few months ... well, it's a miracle we're all still standing.
And then, almost two years after Dad died, I lost my job. I cycle through moments when everything sucks and everything is awesome, usually dancing in the gooey in-between stages.
So here we are. It's been years since I wrote on these pages, but I'm not done telling stories and working on being the best version of myself. Today, 100 Days begins anew.
Not coincidentally, this new journey starts exactly 100 days before the Honolulu Marathon.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen ... I'm running a marathon. (Although I'm using the term "running" very loosely here.)
I'll be taking a bit of time every day to log my workouts, weigh in, and reflect on progress. Getting to race day with confidence is the goal, and everything that goes in to the next 100 days will be focused on that.
Is it scary? Um, yeah. Does it feel a little bit crazy and stupid to be planning a trip to Hawaii while I don't have a job? Undeniably. But the tickets were booked back when I was working full-time, and with the good fortune of a great freelance project, I think I can make it work, financially speaking. If not, I'll be in debt for awhile, and that's okay, too. Because life is short and I refuse to punish myself just because my current situation is less than ideal.
So here we go. Another hundred days begins ... now.
