This Is The Way We Show Our Love....

....show our love,
show our love, (come on, sing along with me)
This is the way we show our love,
Early in the morning.

I love my family. I really do. And I prove it in many ways, but few are more evident than today.

Austin has a cross country meet later today that is about an hour and a half away. He is a JV runner, and JV boys always run last...very last...totally last....it's starting to get dark last, and they are last at every single meet. So, while the meet starts at 4:30, we really don't need to be there much before 6:00. We're in Iowa, so this time of year, it's starting to get dark by 7:00, and will be getting dark even earlier as the season goes on.

Cross country from a spectators point of view is the dumbest sport on the planet. I'm serious here. If you've never been to one, you're probably thinking "You got sum 'splainin' to do Lucy", so here goes... The kids run around a golf course. They run all over the course, back and forth, up and over hills, around trees. The only places they stay away from are the greens and sand traps, which in all honestly would make things much more interesting if they had to try to jump the sand traps. In all other sports there is a designated seating area for spectators. Not so in cross country. No siree. We run almost as much as the kids do. You want to watch them and cheer them on, so you run from spot to spot to see them as much as you can.

I have made it very clear to everyone who knows me that unless the house is on fire, there is no reason to run. And, if I'm close to the door when the fire begins, I can still get out safely by walking fast. A runner I will never be, and I've made peace with that.

So here we are running to one point, cheering loudly as Austin runs by, and then we take off to another point where we will cheer again as he runs by. I have asked him often if he hears us cheering for him, and not once has heard us. He said "Mom, I'm trying to make sure I keep running and breathing, at that point, nothing else matters". Ok, I see his point, those are two important things needed to be a successful runner. So why do I do it? It's crazy! Why? Because I love my family.

Today though is really testing my love. Jay is going to a farm auction near the town Austin will be running at. I said there is no reason to waste gas, so I will just ride up with him. He gave me the look that said "Are you sure?" and I assured him that I will be fine. Then I asked what time will we be leaving. His response - 9:30am.

9:30

We'll get to the auction by 11:00 and it starts at ll:30. We'll be at this auction for a minimum of 5 hours.

5 hours

So for 5 hours (did you read that? It's 5 hours people!), I will stand around with a bunch of farmers who are all excited about getting a great deal on a new tractor, corn head, plow or whatever they are bidding on. And this is serious business. No time for idle chit chat. I may bring a book along or a pillow and blanket, because there is no way I will be able to deal with all of that excitement for any length of time.

Then once that torture, uh, I mean enjoyment is done, we will head over to the golf course to run around for a half hour or more.

I'm telling you, if today doesn't prove my love for my family, then I don't know what does.