That's My Tribe

As much as I say it, or as much as we hear it there are still times that it is necessary for us to take a trip to our past. The key is to making sure that trip is not to tear you down, but to lift you up.

Let me tell you a little story. This story goes back 30+ years. The story has not ended, it continues to grow and evolve, but it is one of the many stories that continues to shape my life. This year, this story had a nice little surprise in it. You see, last year Alyssa told her Aunt Mimi (a.k.a Michelle) that she would run the Hershey Half Marathon with us. Well before COVID was even on our radar, the event team canceled the race due to declining participation. No worries, we can just find another race. Also in the back of my mind I wasn't sure Alyssa would even be able to have time for such an ambitious goal. She would be entering her senior year of high school, and with anticipated sports schedules, college tours and all the other events that come with the last year of high school everything was up in the air.

Carla and I flew to Tampa for Gasparilla (haven't been on a plane since). The next weekend Alyssa had her first State Basketball Playoff game in Altoona (Alyssa's final career game). The following week she was at a school retreat (last time she spent with her class) only to come home to one last day of school to never return. And when I say never return, I mean never return. Yes, it started as on-line learning for the remainder of the year and turned into a full school closure at the end of the academic year. In an instant we went from having all these grand plans (yes living in the future) to being forced to work through the present.

Fast forward through a lot of tears, frustration and unknowns the one thing that continued to stick was running. Running and walking got us out of the house during the stay at home order. Changing schools also gave Alyssa the opportunity to not keep doing what she had always done. To look at the situation as a way to do something different her senior year. So she set a goal, to run a half marathon before she turned 18. She started training as we worked through what the school year would look like. Once it was determined she would opt out of sports and do virtual learning running a half marathon was doable. It was even more possible when we agreed that we would make her senior year adventurous.

So what happens next, I text Michelle and Carla. I tell them Alyssa's plan to run a half and my plan to create a race. They are in!!! So we all start training, we set the date and begin planning. Then me scrolling through Facebook one night see that Amber's half was cancelled and it just happened to be the same weekend we were planning our own half. So what do I do, I send her message letting her know our big plan for that weekend and asked if she wanted to join us. Even though she stopped her training, she restarted and was ready to go.

Because I Can, that was the name of our half. Our medals say Because I Can However I Want. Why? (The Why was actually on our shirts). Because it wasn't about running a half, it was about celebrating everyone who was part of our half. Olivia biked 13.1, Heather skated 13.1, Makenna, ran intervals and was Carla's cheerleader the entire time. And Team Mom Alyssa (yes we had two Alyssa's), was our rock cheering us on and keeping us hydrated and fueled the entire race! We were all in this together. It wasn't about just one of us, it was about all of us.

But this wasn't even the highlight of the weekend for me.

This right here was the highlight. It was being surrounded by the women who I have cherished in my life. It was about showing our girls what a Tribe is. This group right here all met at different times, we didn't all grow up together, we haven't always been able to be a part of every event in each others lives. But you know what we have been? We have been a source of strength for each other. And now, we are able to show what that looks like to our girls. In this moment our girls saw what strong, beautiful, intelligent women are; what they are becoming!

This weekend also brought some life back into me. It recharged my batteries and reminded me that I am confident, capable and amazing and I need to live my life that way. These ladies are amazing and I love every single one of them!

Are there others I consider part of my Tribe? Hell Yes!

Is my Tribe Perfect? We are perfectly imperfect!

Would I lay my life down for anyone in my Tribe? You bet I will!

That's My Tribe! My Soul! My Heart!