The Learning Umbrella

Yesterday Carbon and I walked for an event called Crop Walk, which raises money for world hunger causes.  It is a 6 mile walk, along a really lovely route, with lots of good people and a real community spirit.  And we raised money from our family and friends (Thanks everyone!).  But I had some real doubts about our ability to finish the walk.  I have been having so much trouble with my hernia lately that I’ve hardly been exercising at all.  And Carbon is a little guy who doesn’t walk all the time.  He’s always been more comfortable riding or being carried than walking for long distances, and it wasn’t until he was waaaayyyy too heavy for the stroller that he was evicted finally.

He did great!  He didn’t make the entire walk, and we were the very last people to finish, but he walked about 4 1/2 - 5 miles of it.  With minimum complaining and absolutely no being carried, even.  Our pace was a bit leisurely, as he walked along the edge of the lake looking for snakes as we went, stopped to birdwatch, and play at a playground on the route.  But he walked a long way.  DH and I used our cellphones to keep tabs as we did the walk, and he was able to meet us at an ice cream place along the walk, and I dropped Carbon with him there.  They had icecreams and I set out to finish the walk.  When they finished their ice cream, they came to cheer me on from the car as I went.  I was so late finishing that they were taking down all the checkpoints, but the point was that I did finish.  I’m a bit sore today, but I think I’m proving to myself that my health can improve and I can be active again in ways I want to be.

A beautiful day.