Oct. 14, 2018

The mist of the morning air settled onto my already-sweaty face as I struggled to catch my breath halfway through the quarter marathon. “3.3 more miles to go,” I thought. “Keep going. This race is one hour of your life.”

Searching for a distraction from my temporary discomfort of foot cramps and side pain, I looked at the determined faces around me. My friend, Jennifer, was beside me. Countless runners were behind and in front of us.

“Everyone here is running with someone in mind,” I thought. “ - whether that someone is a sister, a friend, or a stranger. Some are cancer survivors running in celebration of life.”

As I continued along the route, I saw runners high-fiving and waving at other runners. Maybe they knew each other. Maybe they didn’t. But in that moment, I witnessed the best of humanity: selfless love - love that doesn’t expect anything in return. Love like Jesus.

My sister, Kristy, is with Jesus. She was also with me today, stride by stride, during the Spirit of Survival. I remember running with her on dirt roads near her house in western Oklahoma. She always wore Peds socks. I wore my Peds today. I ran for her.