Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day my husband and I walked our first 10K. Several of my good friends joined us. We wore matching turkey headbands. The weather was cold and drizzly. We were accompanied by 13,000 others who have helped make the Cincinnati Turkey Trot the oldest 10K event in the midwest. Not being an athlete, this is all new and exciting for me. We had a wonderful time walking on normally busy, now closed, city streets,  crossing the bridges back and forth over the Ohio River. We passed children, people on crutches, people walking with deformed limbs...and some of those people passed us, with the effort and determination marked on their faces. As we neared the finish line, we had that feeling of accomplishment that is what drives all of us to try harder, face our challenges, be courageous. As the rest of the day unfolded into grand feasts with family and friends, lazy evenings in front of the televised football games, I could feel the benefits of the early morning event. The strong heartbeat, the relaxed muscles, the joie of the day filling every corner of my soul. Today, my turkey headband is on display, as well as my race bib, as a reminder to be thanks giving to the ones who love us so much.