Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Bright Side of May Gray

May Gray and June Gloom have descended on the southern California region in full force this year and these yearly phenomena have many of us longing for the sunnier days of summer. The gloomy weather on Sunday, May 31st made me think of a familiar saying (also a song by The Byrds), "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven," and I began to realize that even this wretched gloom can have its advantages.

Now you're probably wondering, "What was so special about May 31st?"

On the morning of May 31st, over 21,000 runners, myself included, ran the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon. Each one of us had our very own motivations, missions, and reasons for committing ourselves to a 26.2 mile challenge, but one thing we all had in common was gratitude for the overcast weather conditions. The gloom actually made us stronger and something seemingly ugly actually offered opportunity for us all. Our fears of sunburn, dehydration, and exhaustion melted away as we set out towards that finish line 26.2 miles away.

Now you're probably thinking, "Ok, so you ran a marathon. Would you like a medal or something? Oh yes, they gave you one. Ok, so what does this have to do with me?"

What I'm trying to say is that we are all participating in an endurance event of some sort. We are all feeling the effects of this gloomy economic time and like the marathon runners on that dreary Sunday morning we need to look for our areas of opportunity. We need to remember that gloom is only temporary, it is merely a season, and that it serves a purpose. We are all endurance athletes in our own right as long as we keep striving. We all know that summer and brighter times are just ahead. Right now is great time for us to learn about our personal strength. The things that we accomplish during the most difficult times become those things that we are the most proud of.

See you at the finish line!
~Regina Gormanly
Office Assistant
Marathon Finisher 4:09:29

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