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 “May
teaches us patience…...it gives you sunshine, then hides it just to
see if you’re paying attention.” The Playful Wisdom
“In May flowers bloom….and so do your allergies.” The Punny Proverb
“May is that friend who invites you to a picnic, then brings rain as
the plus-one.” The Quirky Observation.
May is one of the busiest months of the year. For me, it is more
hectic than December. There are birthdays, anniversaries,
graduations, weddings, planting, planning, etc. The month is busier
than a farmer with one hoe and two rattlesnakes.
My daughter-in-law runs marathons. She’s run the Boston marathon
twice and has qualified to run yet again. We went over to Ottawa to
cheer her on as she ran a half-marathon. We are so very proud of
her. I truly don’t know how she does it. Her determination to not
just run marathons but to put in all the training astounds me.
Here are some quotes from Verywe:
“It’s a huge challenge, but 26 miles in 365 days is definitely
doable.” (Yep. My opinion exactly)
“What do you call a marathon of people named Aaron?.........Running
Errands (Bahahahaha!)
I’ve watched her run enough marathons to know that this quote from
Dean Karnazes, American ultramarathon runner and author is
absolutely true: “Toeing the starting line of a marathon, regardless
of the language you speak, the God you worship, or the color of your
skin, we all stand as equal. Perhaps the world would be a better
place if more people ran.”
Joe Henderson, running writer, “You can never be sure. That’s what
makes the marathon both fearsome and fascinating. The deeper you go
into the unknown, the more uncertain you become. But then you
finish. And you wonder later, ‘How did I do that?’ This question
compels you to keep making the journey from the usual to the
magical.”
The beginning of each marathon is awesome as you watch all the
runners organize and then take off. That’s followed by complete
boredom until the entrants start coming across the finish line. It
doesn’t take much to keep us, the cheerleaders, entertained. As the
competitors finished, they had to run across a bridge. The police
had put pilons down the middle of the two laned bridge and were
closely managing traffic. The transit for the vehicles used one lane
as the runners used the others. This was the perfect solution until
Joe Farmer putts across the bridge with a 100 bottomed plow and took
out each and every pilon. It was a delight to watch as we had
nothing else to do and no runner was in danger. The poor police
officer now had to direct traffic, reset pilons, and keep his guard
up to guide and protect the incoming competitors. It was fun to
watch.
For me, the best part of a marathon is watching the faces of the
conquering heroes…our contenders…look for and recognize the faces of
their friends and family screaming in joy at their entrance across
the finish line. Sweating, red, exhausted faces light up in delight
at seeing someone they care about cheer them on. As the challengers
collapse in fatigue at the end of their run, the cheers and hugs of
their people are more energizing than the water, bananas, or
decompressing can ever be.
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Could the sound of “Pomp and Circumstance” bring on any more tears?
It’s majestic and heartbreaking at the same time. As my youngest
grandson graduated high school, his momma, Randi, patted me on the
back as I cried. I so wished his grandpa would have lived to see his
accomplishment. What a bittersweet experience. I’m so very proud of
Gavin. We are excited to see where life takes him.
Henry David Thoreau, “Go confidently into the direction of your
dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!” Audrey
Hepburn
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
So many birthdays in the month of May! It’s hard to keep up with
them all. Emily Dickinson wrote, “We turn not older with years, but
newer every day.” If you don’t believe that quote, how about the
author of Charlie Brown, Charles Schulz, “Just remember, once you’re
over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.”
I’m getting better with birthdays. They are a luxury that many don’t
get to experience. Author, Lionel Blue, wrote, “To my surprise, my
70’s are nicer than my 60s and my 60s than my 50’s, and I wouldn’t
wish my teens and 20s on my enemies.”
There’s a Cherokee proverb we need to tape to our bathroom mirrors,
“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your
life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”
Writer, Gertrude Stein, “We are all the same age inside.” This is so
very true. I’m still surprised when I stand up and my knees creak
and crack. I’m stunned when my intention is to quickly jaunt to my
destination and wind up determinedly trudging along. My mind says
one thing, but my body definitely says another.
What is sweeter than a wedding anniversary? Scottish politician,
Paul Sweeney said, “A wedding anniversary is the celebration of
love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies
for any given year.”
To compete verbally in her own way about wedding anniversaries Julia
Child proclaimed, “You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to
my life.”
American poet, Maya Angelou, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps
hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination
full of hope.”
Writer Edwin Way Teale, “All things seem possible in May.”
I don’t know if all things are possible in May, but it does seem May
is possibly the most overwhelming of months. If, like me this month
stresses you, take each celebration, each commemoration, each
conviviality one at a time.
Confucius, “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away
small stones.”
L. Maxine McQueen may be contacted at
maxmac.1@juno.com
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