Running, through a Child's Eyes

Yesterday I met up with my dear friend and her grand-daughter for a 2 mile run in the park.  A few weeks ago, she asked me if I would help her get back into running.  I thought it was hilarious that someone would be asking me to help them with their running.  Anyway, she mentioned that her grand-daughter, who just finished first grade, will be running her first 5K this July and wanted to train with us.  So, yesterday we met up for an easy 2 mile run on our favorite trail. The temperature at 4:00 pm was 87 degrees with at least 80% humidity.  Needless to say we were soaked just after the first 1/2 mile.  My friend's grand-daughter was a delight to watch run.  She was in awe of every little stick, bug, and leaf.  We saw a lot of butterflies which she tried to catch.  She commented how beautiful the light was when it was shining through the trees and making shadows on the path.  That's the advantage of running with a child.  I saw the beauty of nature through her eyes.  White cottonwood seeds swirled around the air like twinkling stars in the night sky.  They were sticking to our sweaty skin like snowflakes stick to ground.  If it weren't for my friend's grand-daughter I would have just been annoyed with these white fuzzies on my skin.  Instead, my mind was thinking like a child and I relished looking like a walking cotton ball.  

Hot and humid

My friend and her beautiful grand-daughter whose eyes are as blue as the waters in the Caribbean.  Not only is she polite, but she is extremely smart for a 7 year old.  She was reading every sign in the park with words such as permitted, motorized, encounter ,route, vehicles, and many more that even adults have trouble with.  It's not hard to fall in love with her infectious laugh and innocence. When we were finished with our run, we stretched and hugged and made a date for next week.  Hopefully, for her, we see a snake on our run next week.  She LOVES snakes.  But you all know how I feel about snakes!