Joy and an attitude of gratitude

I would be the first to tell you that joy and gratitude have not always been my go to.  Oh, I always had a sense of humor (often pretty self-deprecating), and as a kid I reveled in pleasing my father and annoying my mother by playing the straight man for my dad's corny jokes (they were dad jokes to the nth degree).  But I honestly didn't associate joy and gratitude with each other and purposely include them in my life until 2 things happened....I became involved in the academic study of play and I became a runner.

Through a series of life experiences, I began to get an inkling that the things we did for recreation and play meant far more to us than a trivial "something to do when we are not working."  Subsequently, I spent a good part of my academic career studying the intersections of information and recreation, and seeing what play of various kinds....from video games to triathlons... meant to their participants.  I'll talk more in another blog about the academic side, but what I came to personally in terms of personal philosophy was that play is not trivial, it is VITAL...now more than ever. Play is as important to adults as to children...and finding our joy (and our gratitude) is as just about as important as anything in life. 

I began running in 2005 at the age of 49.  I always enjoyed it. And as I got older I was glad I could do it.  I like the feeling of moving under my own power (even when it hurts sometimes).  The joy has always been there, more or less.  This is definitely one of the ways I play...but it was this race, the Hoover Dam Half in December of 2013, that taught me about the gratitude.  It was my second half marathon in as many months.  There was a long uphill at the start, and I was struggling a little. The course runs on a rail trail with several tunnels, and I was moving along and doing ok, but questioning my sanity about running another half so soon.  Then I passed through one of the tunnels...

And was greeted by a view like this one.  My instantaneous reaction was a deep heartfelt "thank you" that came from nowhere and went out to the universe. I was so grateful in that moment that I could still do these things and see these things.  I am not a particularly religious person, but this was definitely a spiritual moment. And I called it a gratitude moment.  When I started paying attention, I found that almost every race has such a moment, big or small.

In order to add to the joy, and the sense of play...I began running in costume (even races that are not commonly costumed). There is something magical about dressing up and letting go that brings a smile to yourself...and to others around you (even though some may shake their heads!) For me the joy begins with the creation of the costumes and lingers long after through the memories.

So let's be grateful, let's be joyful, let's play!  Here's to miles of smiles!!