Luminaria Run

Now, I know it wasn’t very smart to sign up for another race on the day right after my first. But this one was personal. I grew up in a very quaint little town (still dry) that hosts a parade, lighting of the Christmas tree, a ham-and-bean-supper in the town hall, visit with Santa and Christmas stories in the Church — the day after Thanksgiving. Most of all this started after I left home, over 25 years ago. So, I never really “got it”. My Mom would always ask me to come over and bring the kids and see all of this stuff — I was only an hour away. Why didn’t I go? I honestly have no idea – we really weren’t doing anything that spectacular here. I finally went for the first time in 2005, the first Christmas without my Mom.

I was heartbroken to see all that I had missed — and she wasn’t there to see. I ran into people from my Church that helped raise me, old high school friends and neighbors. And there was no Mom, and I can’t describe the empty, aching feeling I felt.

Part of the Christmas celebration includes a Luminaria Run – which my husband participated in last year. This year, I needed to run in that race. As painful as it is, I love going back to see my Mom’s friends, and my old friends. And this year I was running through the pain of losing her.

Can you believe the run took me right past my Mom’s house? Two times? God, I would have loved to have seen her standing on the porch cheering me on. (My Uncle Carl said I should have ran in for a sandwich.)