Last week we organized a marathon, a fundraising activity to support those who will be taking the November bar exams from our school. The month-long preparations felt like a marathon in itself, especially for students who were actively working on this event while juggling it with their day job and law studies.
On the day of the race, we had to be at the venue by 3:30AM, never mind that we went home at almost midnight to ensure everything was in order. Like any event, there were lapses and confusions with some participants ended up arguing with our secretariat head. It was all too overwhelming for our tired and exhausted heads.
Then came this teeny tiny little 3-year old, wearing the tiniest shirt with the race bib almost occupying her entire upper body. She was all smiles as she approached the finish line, no trace of physical exhaustion. At first I thought she was only made to run from a few meters away. Perhaps when her mom –I assumed the lady who ran by her side was her mom but I don’t know for sure – was about to reach the finish line, they had the three-year old girl ran with her. But I was told the little girl did run for the entire 3 kilometres! And she was not the last to arrive either. I was stunned.
On the day of the race, we had to be at the venue by 3:30AM, never mind that we went home at almost midnight to ensure everything was in order. Like any event, there were lapses and confusions with some participants ended up arguing with our secretariat head. It was all too overwhelming for our tired and exhausted heads.
Then came this teeny tiny little 3-year old, wearing the tiniest shirt with the race bib almost occupying her entire upper body. She was all smiles as she approached the finish line, no trace of physical exhaustion. At first I thought she was only made to run from a few meters away. Perhaps when her mom –I assumed the lady who ran by her side was her mom but I don’t know for sure – was about to reach the finish line, they had the three-year old girl ran with her. But I was told the little girl did run for the entire 3 kilometres! And she was not the last to arrive either. I was stunned.
I could not stop looking at and admiring her. When the adults reached the finish line, you could see their tired faces despite their smiles of success. But the little girl, that cute innocent soul just kept smiling with a smile that has no trace of regrets, of that ‘why am I doing this to myself but I love it at the same time’ kind of face. It got me thinking, why is running something burdensome for some adults but for children it is pure fun? Really, what is wrong with us lazy adults? And she kept running around the plaza still, even after we’ve finished awarding the prizes, where she got the Youngest Runner Award.
I can’t help but wish I had her spirit. If we were not the organizer, I would have ran myself but I was sure along the way I would also keep cursing myself for imposing that challenge until I reach the finish line where I can forget all about the pain and just relish success. But still, along the way, I knew I would have complained and regretted and felt bad like I most often do when faced with difficult tasks, even if at the back of my head I am loving the challenge.
That little girl reminded me to just enjoy despite any discomfort, to think of it as play, to have a mindset that looks at the fun, good side of it all instead of dwelling on which part is uncomfortable. I have been planning to run for a long long time but never quite found the will to do it. Thanks to this little girl, my mindset is changing. But yeah, it takes a 3-year old to slap me on the face and make me realize how lazy I had become not only in running on a marathon but most importantly in running for my life goals.
I can’t help but wish I had her spirit. If we were not the organizer, I would have ran myself but I was sure along the way I would also keep cursing myself for imposing that challenge until I reach the finish line where I can forget all about the pain and just relish success. But still, along the way, I knew I would have complained and regretted and felt bad like I most often do when faced with difficult tasks, even if at the back of my head I am loving the challenge.
That little girl reminded me to just enjoy despite any discomfort, to think of it as play, to have a mindset that looks at the fun, good side of it all instead of dwelling on which part is uncomfortable. I have been planning to run for a long long time but never quite found the will to do it. Thanks to this little girl, my mindset is changing. But yeah, it takes a 3-year old to slap me on the face and make me realize how lazy I had become not only in running on a marathon but most importantly in running for my life goals.
