36 Miles. 36 Acts. 36 Years.

[sorry one day late --- couldn't get my files to upload :( ]

2013.

I. love. you.

Yes, I know we are only 5 days in but what an awesome 5 days it has been.

Yes, today IS my Birthday.

Yes, I am a HUGE birthday LOVER.

FREAKING HUGE.  And my family knows it. ;)

Last year I ran 35 miles on my 35th birthday and loved it.

However................... it felt a little empty.

I know I can run.  I know I'm a little crazy on my treadmill.

So this year, I decided to do my "age in miles run" along with my take on Ann Curry's 26ACTS [info here]. 

But-----------I did 36 miles and 36 ACTS.

 

 

I had the best cheerleader ever for the last quarter mile.  Freaking love my girl.

And the 36 acts................ 

 

So. grateful. I. did. them.

As I AM the one who benefited the most from this.

I won't share each one individually as a few were done for neighbors and acquaintances.  Most were done anonymously but some were not.

* Peanut and I dropped of a sweet treat for a neighborhood friend.

* I randomly placed gift cards in books at a local public library.

of course, I HAD to put one in the "marathon training" book. ;)

* One day of being a courteous driver.  No honking. Allowing people in front of me in traffic.  This may seem like nothing but I'm a rather impatient driver.

* When I stopped to get the Pita his "get me better now soup" I paid for a persons "to-go" order while I was there [before they had arrived].

* We made banana bread and doorbell ditched them to random neighbors.

* Took Chipotle to a family whose Mom was sick.

* Paid for the McDonald's order behind me in the drive-thru.  Bet that guy wishes he had ordered more than a McDouble. [$1.08----do I know how to pick them or what?! ;) ]

* Sent a few dollars to someone I have never met but heard things had been tight [financially] for.

* Gathered carts at a grocery store [only 15-20] when all the carts were out on New Years Eve.

* We left change in all the vending machines we could find around a local mall.

* Left a gift card for my mailman.  He rocks.

Some "acts" were bigger than others in time and in cost but looking back on it . . . I certainly enjoyed the completely anonymous ones better.

Now...............WHY DO I SHARE this with you?

ONLY

ONLY

O N L Y...................in the hopes that it will motivate others to do "RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS"

This is now something I will do EVERY year on or around my birthday.  It was a BLAST to do a lot of these with my Peanut.  It has made her a lot more mindful of just how much one small, small kind act can impact a person's day ---- and more importantly HER day.

Thank you so freaking much for all the awesome comments left for me on "MY DAY" today.

I. am. so. grateful.

Emz

"Moment of Clarity" - Jay Z

I remember learning about bees when I was little. (Not the ones that go with birds, just the bees. The bumbling kind.) I don't remember much (blocked it out since I was terrorized by the close-up shots of yellow and black fur, enormous eyes and blurry wings, hovering over some innocent flower...or child...) but I do remember that they are always busy, busy, busy.

I think Peanut was a bee in a previous life. She reads while she eats. She sings while she cleans. (Let me re-phrase that...she sings while she pretends to clean.) She's constantly stealing using my computer paper, more markers, more tape, more string, more pens, more anything that might be useful. And then she sits at the kitchen counter and gets to work. (She swings her while she works.)

The topic of my birthday came up. Which always means, I get to hear what she wants for her next birthday, mingled with a barely audible, “momyeaIforgottogetyouapresent". She spent the next hour in her room singing, fumbling with papers and running in and out for more supplies.

Later, she emerged in the hallway, eyes lit up with pride. In her hands laid a few papers wrapped in tissue paper. On the cover, “Mom you freaking rock”.

　
I looked in her room.  Piles of who knows what.  A few drawing that didn't make the cut . . .covered the floor. 

I smiled.

"Mom, don't worry, I'll clean it up.", she said.Not even close to what I was thinking.

What I was thinking . . . . I am blessed. My kid rocks.

And . . . .Ohhhhhhhh, this is what my mom meant when she said “I just want a card for my birthday” . . . this time I actually believe her. The Pita would be more than happy to take her out “shopping” for my gift. But I’m guessing this is a gift I’ll actually remember getting . . . Like next year & the year after that.

I’ve got everything I need. Love. Encouragement. Appreciation. 

And understanding . . . . . well unless I do something SUPER silly like this on my birthday:

And that’s freaking huge.


Best. birthday. ever.