Honestly, not a bad day in terms of production.
At work...well, probably the two most interesting things involved two different coworkers.
Right before the class I teach started, the teacher from the previous class, well, I turned around, and she was in tears--they poured, rich and silent from her eyes.
I didn't think at all, I simply put my arms around her and asked her what was wrong.
She told me. Her sister had died, three weeks earlier and because she'd been having some serious health issues of her own, her doctor had not only ordered bed rest, but also her absence from the wakes and funerals, fearing her condition would rapidly worsen.
Her husband doesn't allow her to cry at home, tells her she should be over it. I asked one of my guys to bring her some cold water to drink, and bless them all-- they all brought one.
"I shouldn't be here," she cried. "I'm the oldest--it should have been me--I didn't get to say goodbye."
"It doesn't work like that," I told her very quietly. "And yes, you should be here."
"I know, I know," she said, "but I should be over this, I should get over it."
"Why?" I asked her. "It's your sister, you've known her for her whole life--sixty some odd years. Why would three weeks be enough?"
"But my husband says--"
"Ignore him--or kick him in the nuts next time, so he has something to cry over, too," I interrupted to suggest.
That got a smile out of her.
"My sister would like that."
I smiled back. "Well then, now you have an action plan."
She gave me another hug. "Thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry for falling apart like that."
I hugged her closely. "You're welcome--come look for me whenever you'd like. And don't apologize for being human, for having a heart. You love someone, and they're not here--your tears honor that."
"You think so?"
"I know so," I affirmed, and with that and one final hug, we each started our respective classes.
A few hours later, a coworker whom I rarely get to see came in for shift, and we got to talking about running, cycling, and swimming. Turns out, his bff rides for a (Name Company) team and that's all he does, but since he swims, too, he does biathlons and the occasional triathlon.
Boy did that conversation take off. See, a few weeks ago, just a few days before I decided I would do this crazy triathlon thing, I'd remembered something, something I'd forgotten:
When I did the AIDS Ride, I really fell in love not only with the idea of what we were doing (fund raising that really made a difference) but with my bike all over again (similar to the love affair I'd had as a young one, only much better. I mean, hey, I had an AWESOME bike and even cooler gear to go with it ).
I was taking a month off after that event, and was going to prepare to do a century (100 miles) in Tour de Tuscon, also as part of a fundraising event. I'd joined a team, and was quietly preparing my mind to do something really insane, something that the person who coordinated the NY people for the AIDS Ride does: do this for a living.
I mean, hey, how cooler could you get, right? I mean, ride a bike, help people, and make a living? Sign me up! (Actually, I was already kinda signing up).
But then...Sept. 11th happened, and it blew the entire world literally and figuratively to shreds. And I'd forgotten all about that. But like I said, suddenly, just before doing this crazy triathlon thing, I REMEMBERED.
And tonight...well, let's just say this: the (Name Company) has two teams, an amateur and a pro. They take their pros from the amateur, and they train locally, race internationally.
My co-worker is gonna hook me up with his bff, and we're already talking riding routes to train (since he's thinking of going for the amateur team); the first thing he's sending me is a list of races in the area to look at & prep for. Oh...and the team? Might be looking for a few new members. Maybe. Kinda sorta. Depends on performance and all of that.
Can you say "psyched?" Because week after next...starts the cycling module :-)
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