Being in the public eye comes with lots of benefits like being about to share our story and inspire others but it also comes with haters! There’s been a huge surge in coverage on us and the haters are out and I’ve been the focus of some of their hate. I am blessed that our story is out there so that we can inspire and motivate others. I thought this would be the perfect time to count my blessings for everyone to see. So here I go:
1. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is MY BEST FRIEND. Most of you don’t know but Willie and I took a long and bumpy road to marriage. We were never in the same place and we weren’t a fit from the start. We met when we were teenagers by accident, dated for two weeks and it was disaster but we remained friends. Our friendship remained strong and we dated again (7 years later, I think), but long distance just wasn’t working so we broke up. I had many boyfriends and was engaged to be married but that fell apart very quickly in a VERY HORRIBLE way. Willie was there for me during the whole thing as a friend. When I was trying to move on with my life and pick up the pieces after a disaster couple of years, Willie one day picked up the phone and said he had made a mistake breaking up with me 2 and half years before. We dated long distance for a couple of months and then he picked up and moved to Texas, in September 2009, one month later we were engaged and 2 months later we were married.
2. I am blessed to have a supportive husband. Some people don’t have that in life. I’ve developed hobbies and he’s been there to usher me along. I’ve run a lot of races this year and I think he’s only missed three of them. I can’t tell you how many hours he’s spent driving me to and from races or the many times he’s woken up at 3 am to see me start race. He’s helped out around the house, taken care of the dogs and so much more to allow me to pursue my all my hopes and dreams. I want people to keep in mind that I just don’t run races. I train for those races which means I spend a lot of time away from our family and running in the streets. I teach spin classes and do regular workouts. I work, I mentor, I volunteer, I travel to see my best friends and lots of other things. He’s been supportive of everything. Most importantly, he helped me take care of my mother during a difficult time. He took on responsibilities that some husbands would walk away from or just ignore. I am blessed to be on this journey with him. I am blessed that he was raised to be a loving man!
2a. I am blessed that Willie found something he’s truly interested in. He’s all about learning to cook and exploring new cultures and their food influence. It’s a journey we’re taking together and most of our conversations as of lately have switched back and forth between running (me) and cooking (him). I love how conversations are about finding new places to run and finding the foodie spots to eat while we’re there!
3. I am blessed for a great support system. My family and friends have rallied by our sides in good times and bad. They are always there to help us push pass the bad moments that attention may give us and celebrate all the truly wonderful things that have happened. It’s great to have people around who love and support us unconditionally. I have the best family EVER and I married into a great family. We have all become one and it warms my heart every day. And my best friends are the best people I’ve ever known. We don’t live close to each other at all, but we are always there for each other. It’s not about the quantity of friends, it’s about the quality! Plus, our weight loss has opened us up to meeting new people and growing friendships we wouldn’t have pursued a couple of years ago. Two years ago we knew no one in town and now we’re getting to know amazing people everyday. We’re making good quality friends!
4. I am blessed because my mom is beating cancer! In June 2012, our whole world changed due to a diagnosis. But my mom pushed through some of the toughest times of her life and she’s here today better and stronger than ever. I am blessed she caught it early and I am blessed she’s in great health today. She has so much more life to live.
5. I am blessed to have good health. We never had an official diagnosis of bad health but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t lurking in the background. We made the change to a healthier lifestyle and things are so much better now. We can look into the future and see us enjoying things we never thought we would have the opportunity to enjoy.
6. I am blessed by my haters! Haters will be my motivators to keep pushing myself to places I never thought I could go. Bring it on folks! I’m training for my first marathon and I’m going to rock it! Every mile that seems rough, I will think of you carrying me toward that 26.2 and seeing my husband’s face when I cross the finish line!
There are so many other things to be thankful for too: good running shoes, frozen yogurt, Subway (gotta eat fresh on the go) and iPads (everything I need in one place). Okay, yes I’m being silly with these but I enjoy all of them. I am also very thankful for Spanx! They hold everything in.All in all, I am blessed.
So what are the things in life you’re thankful/blessed for? I want to know the serious and silly things!
