paradigm shift

I have so much to blog about (my kitchen)
and my camera won't upload pictures onto my 
computer...so for now let's say that things
are moving along slowly, but surely.


Flooring is purchased and will arrive Friday.


Wood.  We still can't decide (don't have the
money for) on the countertops we (I) love.


Darn you Sam & Brodi for making me fall in love
with your leathered black granite! (love! love!)


Until then a story from the "gym".


I tell Kyle everyday I LOVE the place where I work
out every morning.  I have met beautiful souls (albeit
older beautiful souls), but beautiful none the less.


They cheer me on, they speak with me about life,
the see me without make up every day and still
smile at me when I walk up the stairs to the track.


I have watched a couple there now for the past
year.


He is always smiling, he is sweet, he is tender
with his wife.  Their interaction with one another
inspires me every day.  She runs and runs and runs 
and secretly has been my hero for the past year.  
They have a kind word for everyone and I have 
always wanted to ask the"secret" to their 
happy marriage. Each time she laps the track she
smiles at him, he gives her a thumbs up and she
blows him a kiss.  Every.single.time.  I gauged
their age at near 70.


Yesterday, while she ran, he was on the elliptical
next me to so I tapped him with my sweaty hand
on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me"...  I then
proceeded to ask him about his wife and marriage.


He replied (with his usual smile), "We are just
'precious', aren't we?  Everyone says so!"  He
was teasing me and then laughingly said..."Well
one of the secrets is that she has Alzheimer's."


He explained she was 69 (he was 72) and she had
been diagnosed 10 years earlier.  She loved to
run and it was a comfort to her ever failing mind.


As she lapped the track it was consoling for her
to meet his eyes and acknowledge his presence.


They come to the gym every morning.


As I watched them finish up, he tenderly untied
her sweaty bandana, tucked her IPOD away in the
gym bag and helped her on with her coat.


He held her hand and smiled good-bye to me as 
he led her down the stairs and made their way 
home.


I saw this couple through completely new eyes.


It was a paradigm shift from what I THOUGHT I 
was seeing, to what I was ACTUALLY seeing.


Yes, they were still a loving and compassionate
and kind two-some.  Yes, you could tell theirs
had been, and still was, a great kind of love.


But as my view of them shifted through that 
one piece of information, I saw more deeply 
into WHO they were.  


A little sliver of reality, and truth,
and pain, and life, and living.


He still loved this woman very much (that much
is evident) but not only does he love her, he 
is her caregiver and guardian, the one who watches
over her everyday with care and tenderness.


It struck a chord with me about how much we really
never know about people (once again) and what
we are ALL really going through in our lives.


Daily struggles and burdens that are heavy on our
hearts.  Most of the time while we face the world
smiling.  It made me (once again) want to try
and love and know people for who they REALLY ARE
on the inside, underneath the smile.


Love them, hold their hands, buoy them up.  I have
a sincere place inside of my heart that genuinely
cares for others.  I don't always know how to reach
out and show this, I want to try and do better.


I am (once again) grateful for another lesson my 
(older) friends at the gym have taught me about life.


To (once again) look inside, look past what we 
THINK we may see to dig deeper to see what is
REALLY there!


Adding this to my short list of New Years Goals.


Well, that and the kitchen.