Our next guest blogger is my own daughter, Sarah Klein. She is a corporate trainer, a Jewish educator, a great writer and deep thinker. She loves to run…and I love running with her. I can’t begin to say how very proud of her I am. Here are her words:
A couple years ago I came across a project called 100 days of happiness. It helps you to track things that make you happy as well as being conscious that there is happiness in every day. The goal is to find something that makes you happy everyday for 100 days and document it through pictures. I’ve tried it from time to time a few times now and I have never completed the challenge.
But, there are still important things that I have learned from it. First and foremost, there is happiness in the everyday. I love the smell of crisp fall air or leaves crunching under my feet on a long walk. Many people love their pumpkin spice lattes, but I think there is nothing better than taking a sip of the first salted caramel mocha of the season. Clearly, my happy thoughts are in autumn right now. But, they can be anything. A beautiful flower can brighten my day. My sweet sister making me a special breakfast puts a smile on my face. My niece looking up to me and wanting to spend time with me is truly a gift. I love the silly faces my puppy makes when he is on a mission to hunt a squirrel or a fly or in desperate need of a belly rub. The list could go on and on with what makes me happy. And I hope that is true for all of us. I challenge everyone reading this to try 100 days of happiness. In fact, writing this is making me want to give it another go.
For me though, joy and happiness are very separate things. Joy is much deeper. It’s not the fleeting moment of my salted caramel mocha or laughing at Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show. That is happiness, but I don’t think it’s joy. Joy is more than a moment; it’s a way of life. And I think unfortunately many people miss it. Joy can be different for everyone and I am lucky I know what it is for me. The way I find joy is through helping others. Between my happy moments that is what fulfills me, satisfies me, keeps me going. For me that is joy. I am lucky enough that I get to experience that in a few ways.
When I was in high school, I started teaching religious school. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I had a great passion for teaching at the time. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, but at the time it was a way to make money while in high school. I had friends who worked at local ice cream shops, others who had retail jobs. I taught. Over the year, I became a better teacher and I really started to love teaching. I love when my students get that “ah-ha” moment after they’ve struggled with something. I love being able to help people grow and change and learn. It’s something that developed over time. And, it is something I bring into my professional life as a corporate trainer. In training, I get to help people learn and achieve their potential. It’s a great feeling at the end of the day to know I have made a difference in someone else’s life. When training or teaching, I get to do that. And that is my version of joy.
There are so many ways to help people. Helping makes me feel as good as the people I’m helping. Even if that is a clichéd sentiment, it still reigns true. Another way I have been able to help people is through my running journey. My running path started with my first half marathon, the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Anyone reading this who knows me knows Disney makes me happy so this race was a natural choice.
But, I’m not talking about happiness right now; I’m talking about joy. The joy of this race for me was running this race with my mother as we raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For me this was a perfect example of joy. I was able to do things that make me happy –running (endorphins and all,) spending time with my mom, doing something healthy, and completing a challenge. But, I also was able to make a difference in the lives of people with Leukemia and Lymphoma and that was the most special part for me as I crossed the finish line. Since then I have crossed many finish lines including one for my first full marathon. Did I have fun at all of those events? Sure. It’s been a blast completing some of my personal fitness goals.
Lately, there has been something missing on my running journey though. It’s the helping people. So now, I’m back at it again. This year my mom and I are raising money for an organization extremely close to my heart, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. We are again running the Disney Princess Half Marathon as well as a 5k and a 10k that weekend. For anyone out there keeping track that’s 22.4 miles for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. So why is this so special to me and why does it bring me joy?
I was a patient at a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital (Boston Children’s Hospital.) As part of my battle with chronic daily migraine, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease at BCH in 2002. Having a constant headache and Lyme Disease is not something I talk much about, but both are an important part of my story. CMNH is very personal for me not only because I was a patient, but also because I have friends and family who have been patients. There is a quote that really stuck with me recently I found on Pinterest of all places. Stephanie Sparkles says, “I love when people that have been through hell walk out of the flames carrying buckets of water for those still consumed by the fire.” I’ve been a sick kid so I understand how children and families going through similar things feel. I still struggle with my illness as an adult, but there is never a day that I let it stop me or beat me. I want to be a light for sick kids, a sign of hope that there can be a bright future. I want to show kids that are in CMNH that they can do anything including running 22.4 miles and get their happily ever afters. That brings me joy. So check out my fundraising page, considering donating. Maybe it will bring you happiness or joy, but at minimum it will definitely help others.