Unintended Consequences

This morning began as one hiccup after another. I went out for a short run at a snail's pace and nursed my achy joints and avoided any stomach catastrophe. After dropping the boy off at daycare (two days this week of ME time!), I took out my bike planning to ride through swim practice. Fifteen minutes in I decided that the tires were just too low on air and came home to take care of them. By the time I got them sufficiently inflated, I had another fifteen minutes before swim was over and needed to be at the pool to check in with the girl. After giving her instruction, I got on the bike again ready to head out for a good, long ride. On a whim I decided to veer off the street and head towards a nearby lake. Ten minutes into this ride, I came across an elderly woman from my neighborhood sitting on the side of a trail in the woods with her dog leash, no dog, and a sad look on her face. I stopped to chat and ended up getting off the bike entirely and sat on the ground next to her for quite a while. Our chat started in the usual way - how our families were doing and how we miss the loved ones we've lost.

I need to be honest. She is a very lovely lady and has always been incredibly nice to me. She knew my mother and says the sweetest things about my mother's kindness and beauty. AND, she can chat for a long, LONG time. There was the briefest moment that I thought to myself, "I am NEVER going to get in a good workout today!" And then, I decided to accept that, chuck my worries about heart rates and distances, and just enjoy her company on a beautiful morning. At one point I shared with her my goal of getting healthier, the fear of my trajectory towards neuropathy and diabetes, and the blog that I've started. I couldn't have found a more supportive listener. After explaining much of my last post to her, I realized that what initially looked like the end of my good workout, gave me a stepping stone to a great one. I told her my thoughts about Weight Watchers and so many other programs that seem to prey on people's weaknesses and focus on their pitfalls rather than embrace their successes, and explained the idea that every step is a good step. In talking with her, I was able to articulate that losing weight has never been a goal of mine. Sure, at times it has been a wish, but realistically I have never created nor stuck to any plan of action to get me towards a real goal of weightloss. By focusing instead on moving just a bit more, on what I can do instead of what I am not doing, the weightloss has been a delightful byproduct.

After a while we ended our conversation. Her dog reappeared, and I headed in a different direction to once again start my ride. Over the next forty minutes, I replayed the things we said to each other in my mind. I smiled as I thought about what a special woman she is, and I came home feeling uplifted and happy. I hadn't anticipated needing to pump my tires, and I hadn't intended to head towardss the lake. I wasn't expecting to find her on the path, and I planned to stop to talk for as long as I did. Whether it's the weightloss, the new friendships or the fluke of good timing, today I plan to be thankful for the little unintended consequences that bring me to a good place.