Today, my two daughters – Liz and Rachael – looked at me and said, “We’re going hiking up on Runyon Canyon, Mom. Want to come with us?”
My immediate response was, “Well, thanks, but no. My tummy is a little upset.” The truth was it was a little upset – not very much, of course, but just enough to provide the perfect excuse.
I walked with them to the door and onto the front porch. They looked at me one more time and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
I went through a dozen excuses silently and then thought about Rachael heading back to Texas in the morning. “Oh, okay,” I said, “let me run put on my tennis shoes.”
They gave me big smiles.
“Way to go, Mom,” Liz said.
“Now we get to spend a little more time together,” Rachael added.
Once parked in our church parking lot and heading up Runyon Canyon with Cordelia and Sammie (our Corgie and Scottie), I started huffing and puffing. This was BEFORE we even reached the official park. Rachael smiled. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll go slow with you.” (Liz had waited at the car park for Ron, who was joining us.)
Rachael was good to her word. Up all of those steps that had my heart pounding in no time and sweat pouring down my back. (In my defense, the steps go straight up and even younger and more able-bodied people were stopping, too. Plus, the day was warm.)
Anyway, I made it to the top where we met Liz and Ron. Then we hiked up the much more gradual path that led to the very top. I fell behind with Cordelia, who was plopping herself down on the path and refusing to move until she cooled down. Of course, I was delighted to have an excuse to move a little slower. Finally, when we were almost to the top, Liz, Ron, Rachael and Sammie rounded the corner on their way back down and Cordie and I were able to call our ascent “finished,” so we could head back down with out group. We made the descent much faster and with a good deal less pain and suffering. Cordie didn’t even drag to a halt.
I am very happy that I resisted my inner lazy streak and went on that hike today. I had two lovely hours with Rachael – time that I will be happy I spent once I wave good-bye tomorrow when she heads into the Southwest Airlines terminal. Plus, Liz and Ron seemed pleased to see that I had hoisted my body up and off the couch in the TV room and actually moved my legs up a hill so that I broke a sweat. (It’s always nice to see family members glad that you’re making an effort to not die too soon.)
Most of all, I was proud of myself for squelching that nagging inner voice that was saying, “Ah, let the kids go have fun without you. You and I will just sit here, watch television and eat left-over Christmas desserts.”
I am still shocked I resisted that tempting little voice…
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