Renee and I have been friends since we were 12 years old, when I first met her almost 20 years ago I was wearing a teal tube tob and tye dye overalls ( and no it really wasnt even in style back then). Renee is one of my dearest friends. She is funny, kind, loyal and an amazing friend.She is the kind of friend that EVERY time you see them its like no time has passed at all and the moments you werent together just disappear. I have been blessed to have her in my life. I lived in GA for only a few years, but we shared so many crucial growing up moments its hard to remember a time without her in it. We hung out at the skating rink flirting with boys, we smoked ciggerettes in the trees behind our houses, we talked on the phone for hours on end, we peirced our own belly buttons, we "paged" messages to each other( lets see how many of you even know what that is), we IMed each other on AOL, she held my hair back on my 21st birthday so I wouldnt puke in it and THEN loaned me her toothbrush, she stood up with me as I married my soulmate, she has been there for nearly EVERY important moment in my life. We have traveled thousands of miles to keep in touch over the years and a friendship like this is not one I take lightly. Renee met and married Brian 6 years ago, I was worried that our relationship would fade, she had a new partner in crime now and things couldn't possibly be the same, BUT the opposite was actually true, she married her soulmate and I traveled 5126 miles to stand up and bear witness to thier love. Brian is her perfect match and instead of losing my best friend, I gained another. Brian agreed to drive me to my race and as long as baby Hunter didnt try to come early Renee was coming too! We left early in the AM, and drove to downtown Atlanta in Peidmont Park. I lined up with 15,000 other runners, by far my biggest race to date. There were so many people all wearing pure white, that it took me 15 minutes after the start time to actually cross the start line. I ran for about 4 foot and then the crowd stopped, The Color Run is not a timed race and four foot in I understood why. It took me almost an hour to "run" the 5K. It was small runs followed by lots of walking and even a good bit of standing still in line. It came to a screeching halt about 500 feet before each color paint was to be thrown at you. I guess thats what happens when you put 15,000 people who want to be painted into one lane of Atlanta traffic. As soon as people were "painted" they decided it was time to run again until the next paint stop. I was getting annoyed. I wanted to run. It was visually striking, many times during the race I wished I had a camera. The crowd was happy and even as much waiting as we did, noone was crabby. They were all just enjoying the fun! At this point I am thinking I could have won this race, if I would have been the first in line! Damn that pregnant woman for having to pee on the trip down. I could have won!! We have only ever had one fight in all these years, but now that I am thinking I could have won this I may have to bring it up. But that will have to wait till she is out of the hospital.
Tonight she is HAVING HER BABY!!!! I am so excited! I am praying for a healthy baby and a safe delivery. I am thinking about your witty Indian doctor and his nipple stimulation instruction. I am smiling about laughing so hard that the tears wouldnt stop streaming down my cheeks and I almost peed my pants. I am thinking about the hours of phone calls describing your infertility treatments. I am thinking about the loss and pain and the crying when I couldnt hug you close when you were hurting. I remember your gaurded excitement. Tonight I am envisioning your healthy baby boy in your arms and you, and your husband staring down at Gods perfect miracle against your skin. The moment you hold your child for the first time is breathtaking, and at that exact moment you realize how perfect life is and how nothing else mattered before this moment. Breathe it in. Breathe through the pain becuase that pain will bring you happiness beyond measure.
At the end of the race you open your color packet and throw it into the air and all you see is laughing, smiling, painted, sweaty faces everywhere. I couldnt help but be sucked into it all, it was like we all shared an experience and thats what makes us human. Its how we relate and empathize with each other that makes us understand each other, forgive each other, love each other. I threw my blue paint into the air and all the other colors were flying around me and it was right then, right there it was The Happiest 5K on the Planet.
