Remarkable

A story of running towards things

I’m a creature of habit. Once I get into a routine I tend to stay in it, for better or worse. I wake up between 5:30-6am every day. I hop out of bed, shake off the dust, make a pot of coffee, play my daily nerdy words games (Betweenle, Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, Etc.) At 6:15am I wake up my 15 year old. 6:20, I do that again. And usually one more “GET UP!” is yelled out around 6:29. Yes, that’s how my brains works. I actually notice that it’s usually 6:29 when I give my final shout that gets him moving.

While he’s making his way down for breakfast I finish my word games if they’re giving me trouble, check my email, scroll through Instagram. He and I talk about whatever albums he’s into, we send each other Reels and laugh, and then I send him up to get himself ready to head out for school. Which still usually involves several “Do you have your socks and shoes on?” I you don’t have kids, this is a sentence that is said more than any sentence ever spoken. It’s a just a fact.

By now, it’s 7am, and it’s time for me to wake up the 9 year old. He used to be much easier. Either he was already awake, or he’d pop right out of bed when I came in singing my good morning songs. Oh, did I forget to mention that I sing to them both every morning. Let me tell you. They love it. hahaha. Anyway, he’s a lot more tired and cranky in the morning than he used to be but still pretty easy. I get him eating breakfast and then it’s back to the other kid.

7:15am and it’s time to drop him off at High School. They start classes at 7:40 like some psychopaths. I get him there with some time so he can stop by the schools coffee shop and get all wired before his long day. I tell him I love him, have a good day and then I’m off to go walk my 4-5 miles.

Wrap up my walk, shower, and head to the studio between 8:30-9am. That brings us to the reason I’m writing this today. There’s a man, probably early to mid 30’s, who walks his toddler and a baby in a stroller. There’s nothing remarkable about that in and of itself. A man walking his kids in the morning. Pretty regular thing in and around my neighborhood at any given time of the day. It’s the grandmother that stood out to me. Or what I’m assuming is the grandmother. She’s the one that makes these mornings remarkable.

Everyday, the man walks his kids down the sidewalk in the same direction I’m driving. As I crest the hill, the grandmother is coming towards the man and kids. Here’s the thing, she’s running. And not because she’s a runner. Because she’s that excited to join in on the walk. I can see it on her face. I have seen her go from a calm walk to a run when she sees them at the top of the hill and the smile that takes over is…well, it’s clearly remarkable.

I don’t know anything about these people. I don’t know their story. But I know they have a thing that gets them out of bed in the morning and leads them to a moment of pure joy. They show me that without even realizing it. That woman and her excitement to get to these 3 people is a nice way to start a day.

I go into work with the hope to have a day that something comes along that makes me smile like that woman smiles when she sees that man, toddler and baby stroller off in the distance. A hope that I might make something that brings that kind of smile to others. It reminds me that there are a lot of things out of our control in this strange and wacky life, but how we choose to look at the day ahead of us is a super power that is quite simply… remarkable. I want to run at the joyful things in life like that that grandmother runs at hers.

These people have become apart of my morning routine and i’m grateful for them. I hope you all find something that makes you smile and run towards today.

UPDATE: I sent this yesterday afternoon. It’s 8am the next day now and I saw these people on the way to the studio again this morning. I drove on by, but decided to turn around and talk to them. I introduced myself, told them what I do so they didn’t run screaming, and let them know their morning meetings had an impact on me and that I shared it with all of you. I took a selfie with them but won’t post it since their kids are young. I never want to assume people are cool with thousands of people getting a email with them and their kids in it without knowing. I just wanted to let you know that I followed up on my mission and ran towards the joy. I saw strangers who brought me happiness and I took a few minutes of this cold morning to let them know.