My Mom...The Only Person I'd Do a 5K For | DFW Family Photographer | Rebecca Rice Photography
My mom is incredible! If you've ever met her, I know you'd agree. At almost 60 years old (and not looking a day over 40!) she finds any way that she can to experience life to the fullest. From joining a dragon boat racing team to attending dance classes with my dad, she's always looking for new experiences to make life exciting. She is one of the most adventurous people I know and is never afraid to try something new. Prime example: When my sister and I started playing volleyball, our team needed a coach so my mom happily volunteered! Her coaching style was simple: get the ball to the other side of the net and don't let it hit the ground on our side. Knowing nothing about the sport, she went from coaching a recreational team to coaching a club team. From there she started her own club with her friend and ended her volleyball career as a club referee in her spare time. To say she learned something and ran with it is an understatement!
What I love about my mom is that she's like this with everything in life. Despite whatever obstacles or setbacks she faces, when she finds a new adventure she takes off running with it! What you may not know about my mom is that she's a 13-year cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2005 and won her fight. Ever since, she's been an unstoppable force! I know she is living this life, this second chance that God has given her, to the fullest leaving no regrets. Her sense of adventure is so fun to watch, and I often find myself getting dragged off of the sidelines...like last weekend.
You see, last year as Christmas was approaching, I asked my mom what she wanted as a gift. Fully expecting for her to say some new kitchen accessory, I was shocked when she said she wanted me to do a 5K with her. (Running is her new thing. She's working her way up to a half-marathon.) Those that know me well know that running is not something I enjoy. (She DEFINITELY knows this.) In fact, if I could go the rest of my life and never run again I'd be a happy camper! But there's one woman I'd do it for, and she was asking me to do it as her Christmas gift!! What is wrong with her?! I honestly felt like I was being punished, but her excitement was so evident. So with a deep sigh, I said okay.
Last weekend my mom redeemed her gift. We participated in the Trinity River 5K Run alongside my sister, sister-in-law, and some of her family. Because I brought Maddie along in her non-jogger stroller, I had no intention of running. Several of us had decided beforehand that we would walk the race. As we all lined up at the starting line, the excitement took over. The announcer said, "GO!" and everyone started running! I felt like I had no choice at that point, so off we went...running with our non-jogger stroller! (If you've never ran while pushing a stroller with a 10-month-old in it, it's much harder than it looks!) After a little ways, I drifted to the back of the pack. I started my journey walking, and guess who stayed with me...my mom. She had been training for this, but together we walked/ran the remainder of the 5K, taking turns pushing the stroller. My mom sacrificed running the 5K she had been training for so that we could do it together. It was so special because we got to share a memory that we'll keep forever.
In case you're wondering, yes I still hate running. No, I don't want to train for a half-marathon. But I will admit that I had a great time running/walking with my mom. We got to share something that she enjoys and we finished together. Especially now that I'm a mom, I'm so thankful to have my mom next to me running this race called life. She's closer to finishing than I am, but she's thriving and sprinting her race all the way to the finish line! I hope that one day I can be as great as her. Mom, thanks for being so awesome. I love you!
