My story is deeply intertwined with RLAG's story and its history. The purpose, story and meaning behind all things Run Like A Girl comes from things I have experienced in my life. I see opportunity everywhere I look, I see the positive impact we have made and the space to still share so much more.
I am personally motivated and get extremely excited about the simple act of people coming together to help one another.
In my world that is community events and adventures.
In a bigger larger image that is natural disasters, protests or gathering in support of a greater cause, human rights movements.
But it's also the little things like opening a door for someone, taking the time at the grocery store to say hello to an elderly person who draws a smile on their face from my three year old daughter passing by, we stop and say hello.
How we as people have the ability to care for each other it's something I get really excited and passionate about.
It's often I find in the moments of being frustrated at the grocery store because my daughter is running away from me or has spilled something all over the floor that others see as wonderful, full of life and joyous. These are some of the best moments, they bring us back to what really matters, not the mess, not the not listening but the season we are in, the moment we are in.
I really encourage you to start out this new season taking your time. Share a smile, see what's around you and our impact on others.
My Grandma passed away in May of 2023. She was a huge part of my life and my children's life, her great grandchildren, she lived close to us and we saw her regularly. She was almost 87 when she passed, healthy and full of life. She had lots of friends and lived independently. She lived in a complex where some of her friends had no family at all, whenever we went to visit, my kids brought so many smiles, laughs and waves for everyone there. I still keep in touch with her friends there and before Christmas I took the kids to the store and we picked out a few little gifts to share with each of them.
One of them, her name is Lenny, she has some family, but they live far away. She has a really hard time getting around, in her space she uses a walker but beyond that has a wheelchair. (that I have just recently learnt is very old and the battery life is short so she is limited to how far and long she can go outside)
Me and the kids went to drop the gift we had gotten for her and when inside her place the kids kept asking me Mommy why doesn't she have a Christmas tree, Mommy why doesn't she have a stocking? She simply does not have the ability to set it up and she is usually alone for Christmas.
This of course broke our hearts and a beautiful lesson for my children to experience the kindness of giving and helping. We went home and grabbed one of the extra little Christmas trees we had put some little lights and decorations on. Went back to the store, grabbed a stocking and filled it with some little goodies. We took it back to her and she was just speechless. No one other than the few friends in the complex visit her. In her Christmas card I made sure to leave her my phone number and she called me later that evening to thank me she told me she cried after we left and she was so thankful for what we did.
We made her Christmas wonderful. I also left her my phone number because her and my grandma would talk on the phone every day, sometimes more than once a day. I know the passing of my grandma left an empty space to more than just my family.
I hope to continue to spread love and joy to others in these simple yet beautiful ways. I encourage you to do the same! (Even if it's just saying hello with a smile and waving to everyone you cross while running or out for a walk. Sometimes I set this as a goal before leaving the house for a run and wow it feels good! Some runs I am a little more focused but still a hand wave or smile is simply the best! I will share another story next time about one day when I did this and the wonderful man that I met along the way.)
- Courtney McQueen
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