Running Free

Often I dream of running, effortlessly through the field and wood, across the emptiness of my past to the spaces of my future. However, running requires work and training. The training is not fun; it is repetitive and pain filled. Feet blister, shins ache, stomachs cramp, and lungs burn. There is no short cut to the strength running requires.

I must train the muscles that have atrophied from disuse. Never have I lived on my own. Never have I lived by myself. Never have I lived for myself. Right now, I cannot run far or fast because there is little strength in my muscles. I stumble, fall and ache, but each and everyone of those experiences increases my endurance. Soon, when I least expect it, I will be running. I will be free to explore and discover spaces that were unreachable.

For now, I will accept the stumbles and pain while reveling in the training knowing it brings a joy and freedom that can be found no other way.