Never Give Up

From my vantage point of my hotel room, I could see the split for the Miami Marathon and Half Marathon. After Steve had finished and we returned to our room, I would look out periodically at the finishers. After a certain amount of time, the marathon organizers closed off the marathon route and only the half-marathoners were the ones to watch.

After about five hours, I looked out the windows and saw this scene. There were only a few stragglers coming down the course. Over to the side, there was a small group of supporters, no doubt cheering those walkers to finish. At this point in the race, the walkers had about one-quarter of a mile to the finish.

By this time, these walkers had been out on the course for five hours. They had walked twelve miles. They had gotten by on water, gatorade, and whatever snacks they had or were given to them. All they could think of was getting to the finish line.

Likewise, those supporters had been out for hours, just waiting for that moment when their walker went past. When they caught the first glimpse of their person, they began yelling and encouraging and jumping up and down. All they could think of was how exciting it was to see that person, and how proud they were of this great accomplishment.

Nearly all the participants in the half-marathon (around 16,000) had already finished and gone home. Nearly all the supporters had packed up their signs and gone home. But these people who had yet to finish and had yet to see their friends and family kept going. They didn't quit, they didn't give up, and they didn't stop believing.

It's good to believe in yourself and to have those who believe in you. It's especially good when it seems as though there's nobody left. We just have to remember to keep going and never give up - not on each other, but especially, not on ourselves.

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Today's blessings: seeing Steve in the half-marathon; lunch at Pancake House; lazy afternoon