Then this happens:
Phone rings. I answer tentatively and grumpily, because I truly hate talking on the phone and I'm dreading what sort of irritation may be on the other end of the line.
MISS DAISY: Hello?
NIECE #1: GuesswhatIdidtodayDoyouknowhatapacerisYourunfromoneendofthegymtotheotheranditsabiggym!
The words breathlessly tumble out of her mouth so quickly I can't decipher all of it. There's pure excitement in her voice and I can tell she's floating on air.
I ask her to slow down and try it one more time. She giggles and backs up a bit.
HER: OK, so you know, in gym? We did Pacers. Do you know what a Pacer is?
ME: Nope. What's a Pacer?
HER: You run from one end of the gym to the other and go around the cone before the buzzer beeps.
Ahh, I think. A Pacer is a down and back "lap."
HER: Guess how many I did?
ME: 20.
HER: Nope.
ME: 10
HER: No!
ME: Higher?
HER: Way higher!
So I start guessing in increments of 5, my voice getting more incredulous with every one and she keeps saying no until I get to 60.
HER: Sixty THREE!!! And guess how many Travis did? We had a bet. He bet me I couldn't do more than he could and when I asked him how many he did, he said 48. Then I went and I did 63! Then he asked me how many I did and I said 63 and then he told me he really did 59, but he told me 48 so I would stop at 49. But I didn't stop. I did 63!
ME: Wow! That's pretty awesome! How did it feel?
HER: It felt incredible!
I love the way an almost 13-year-old will "try on" vocabulary that's not exactly native tongue.
ME: What felt incredible ... beating Travis or doing 63 Pacers?
HER: Both! And then I got my homework done early in my study group and then I ran the whole way home! Running feels good!
By this point, I'm grinning from ear to ear. She's having a VERY. GOOD. DAY.
ME: So, you think this running thing might be something you'd like to do?
HER: Yes! I think I'm one of the best runners in my gym class!
That's when my day went from borderline OK to, well, incredible. Firstly, she's running and that makes my heart sing. And, secondly, she's found something that makes her feel strong and good about herself ... a great thing to discover as the teen years approach.
Oh, and, there's something completely awesome about the unbridled optimism and unapologetic pride of a 7th grader.
In fact, I think I'm going to try to find a little bit of that myself.
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EPILOGUE: We chatted more about Trick or Treating, school, new friends and the like. Then we made plans to run the Frosty Rock Challenge in Fort Atkinson on Nov. 15 together, barring any scheduling conflicts. (She has to check with mom of course.)
Want to join us? Register here: http://www.forthealthcare.com/frostyrock/
1 comment:
Love! Nothing better than a happy heart...and a teenage girl who is going to join her aunt in an awesome challenge!
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