A Smile

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I had set out running today because I have had so much on my mind lately, I’ve been completely overwhelmed and feeling extremely discombobulated.  I knew earlier today, as the overwhelming feeling began to take over my day, I absolutely needed to run for as long as my body would allow me to run today and get back in touch with me.  It took a few more miles today for the doubts and insecurities I carry in my life to fade.  But eventually they did and my heart began to reconnect to my soul.

As I was running up a hill, my body was tired, the hill seemed steeper than I remembered it from the last time I had run up.  I thought to myself, “I must be getting old,” I was feeling old running up this hill today. Then the most simple and  amazing thing happened which changed my whole run.  A  boy on a bike whom had stayed parked at the top just looking down the hill for quite a few moments, suddenly pushed off from the top of this hill and began pedaling down hill.  As he whizzed past me on his bike, a giant ear to ear smile on his freckled face,  he let out a “wooohoooo!” It wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it.  It was so full of joy and life, so much so that it was instantly contagious.  And as I ran up the hill I was suddenly struck with a little more energy and joy and life for the moment I was living  too.  The hill stopped feeling like a hill and I was having fun just running up it as fast as I could and by the time I reached the top I had stopped feeling so old.

I want to feel that kind of childlike innocence and freedom from the things in life that hold me down momentarily.  To have the courage to just let go of the doubt and insecurities and fly down the hill, not in fear, but in shear and utter joy. To just have fun!  Of all the beautiful scenic things surrounding me, the sparkling water, the greenest grass, and the budding spring trees, the smile and joy in that brief moment I saw as the  boy flew past me was such a moment of  true beauty.   The actual moment likely lasted less than a full second, but more powerful than if it had lasted an hour.  

I was so grateful for the reminder to always remain childlike in my joy for life and stop being so serious about everything.  And I got to thinking.  If in less than a second, a smile of pure joy could be so contagious, how  beautiful our world could be if we all just decided to be happy and joy-filled and smiled, truly loving life, without a care.  Is it even possible?  Well, of course because all things are in all ways possible..... Maybe we just need to smile more and enjoy our moments.....



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