Sharing a Legacy of Hope and Perseverance

Today was a beautiful and inspiring day, none of which would have been possible had I not wrestled with my food and exercise demon and come out victorious - had I not come out believing in myself. This moment is brought to you by Spark People and one life changed...no, make that two.

The Marine Corps sponsored a Toys for Tots 5K today on Yokosuka Naval Base. My whole family decided to run it together. The entry fee was a new unwrapped toy for every participant. So, first, we went shopping before heading to the starting line. There were lessons to be learned, but not among the toys.

The horn blew and we started at a good clip, with my son jogging easily and setting a good pace. It wasn't long before he was ready to slow a little, then not much after that when he was ready to quit altogether. He had brought a lime green bandanna to wear around his neck but had taken it off. As he was about to give up, I took the bandanna from him and grasped one end tightly. Handing him the other end, I said, "Come on, I won't let go...we can do it together every step of the way." I wanted so desperately for him to overcome all that held him back and simply persevere.

I spoke to him of children who would benefit from this thing we were doing and of those who walk more than 5 kilometers just to get a drink of dirty water. We spoke of Mt. Fuji and other challenges that life ahead still holds. I pulled and pushed him. I cheered him. I empathized with him. I shared bits and pieces of life wisdom with him. This is not the first time I've told him I believe in him . . ."You CAN do it!" Even still, today was different. Today was that opportunity for him to rise above something bigger than himself and not just to call himself a conqueror, but to feel it in his spirit.

During the last leg, as we could see the finish line, I was giving him a pep talk. I wish I could recall the exact thing I said to him at that moment, but I'll never forget his response..."Yeah, just like YOU believe in me." At that moment, my heart swelled with love and hope - hope that he will embrace those words and grow to be confident, not fearing life's challenges. He confirmed that he truly listens to me and believes me when I've said, "I believe in you."

As we neared the finish line, he told me he was ready to sprint. He let go of the green bandanna we had carried together for the last 3 miles and we sprinted together to the finish line. During the whole race, he never once stopped moving forward. He had his ups and downs, but he never quit and as we crossed that finish line side-by-side, he became a little more of the adult I will someday know him to be.

After grabbing some water and finding my husband, we stood together to listen to the race results. My soft-hearted eight-year-old son said to me, "That was the hardest thing I've ever done - I'm glad I did it." In that moment, I learned the most beautiful truth . . . today he came to believe in himself.