The running grandfather

I'm still managing to run without my head torch so far, even though I'm heading out about 45 minutes before official sunrise these mornings. It's a little on the gloomy side but visibility is still there, but that may change any day.

What has changed, and has added a definite extra spring to my step is that I became a grandfather on Sunday. Gorgeous little Amelie was born to Toby and B after a challenging 36 hours for them.

I have seen Amelie twice now and I managed to have a cuddle with her last night for the first time. Just wonderful!

What has this got to do with running you may ask?

Apart from the extra spring in my step I mentioned earlier, I feel even more lucky to be out there running every morning as a grandfather. I do feel truly blessed.

I'm also aware that my own father missed out on becoming a grandfather by six weeks. He knew he was going to be one but he didn't quite last until the momentous occasion.

I should celebrate by entering another marathon or something equally challenging.

I feel immensely proud to be a grandfather, and prouder still to be a running grandfather!

The children know

I've let two weeks slip by again since my last blog entry.

As I count the number of days left to complete my year of running a mile every day, and tallying my total number of consecutive days, I'm also wondering if this will be the day when I will become a grandfather.

It's all very exciting.

I do love small children. They are perfect examples of what it's like to live in the present moment. No regrets or embarrasment of things that they wished they hadn't done, and no worries or concerns about the future, whether they will make a mistake or get hurt.

And the funny thing is that we were all like that when we were little.

If that is the case, which it plainly is, then there is nothing new for us to learn about being present to our every experience of life rather than wasting our time regretting and worrying.

If there's nothing new to learn, surely it must be easy to release the accumulated and non-productive skills of regretting and worrying.

What would be left is the joy and excitement of each new experience, which every moment clearly is.