Author: Kristine Binder

The day dawned with an early and rude alarm clock sounding at 4:30. I got dressed and geared up for the long day ahead. I woke 12 shortly before we were to leave. Once she was dressed, we loaded up the car and once TC arrived,  we headed towards the Lake. Early morning means little or no traffic on the expressway so we flew towards the Soldier Field. We unloaded the coach bins, gifts and tutus from the truck and set up our ‘camp’ under our SPC banner in the grassy field outside the stadium. 
Eventually the girls and families began to arrive. My coach team of 12, TC and I prepped each girl as she arrived with her runner number, tutu, “rockstar” ribbon ties on their tshirts, and glitter hair spray.  Girl power was the name of the game.
Soon all the girls were dressed and ready to get started. We were in a very late start corral and the day was already beginning to warm up so I had a ‘discussion’ with those at the entry of the corrals and we were eventually allowed to start much ahead of schedule.
The girls were soon off on their 3 mile journey. It had taken them 8 weeks to prepare for this day but now they were running….the rubber had met the road. As the girls ran, my team and I gathered the season ending gifts for the girls as well as taking photos and before I knew it, girls were finishing!  WOW!  For a hot day, they were running FAST!
As the girls finished they returned to ‘camp’ red and sweating from the distance. Parents and running buddies soon followed beaming with pride. As the morning wore on the heat intensified and finishing became more difficult but all the girls from our team finished as did their running buddies.

I could not have been prouder of these little dynamos!  They not only ran with tutu spirit but with pride….pride that comes from knowing they did their best. The feeling they have now is one I hope they soon don’t forget….the feeling that they are powerful. The feeling that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. The feeling of pride in a job well done. The feeling that they are strong, beautiful human beings.

Deja Vu you say? Yes, hours later I returned to Soldier Field and it looked as though my sparkly girls had never set foot on the grounds. The place was all clean and there was no sign that earlier hundreds of girls had crossed more than a finish line.

We waited in a beautiful room overlooking the Lake before being escorted to the Skyline room for a wedding. To one side was a view of the south side of the City and McCormick Place as well as the Planetarium. To the other side was a view of the playing field and the skyline of the city.  My BRF (best running friend) was marrying her BFF(best flipping fiance).  Her dream was coming true today as well. As the bride and groom entered the room, I could first feel her excitement and joy before I could see it. The love in the room was palpable. We danced and ate and ate some more. The food was wonderful but the company and views of the city as the sun set were magnificent.

At dark we all exited the room and met on the south lawn. It was time to light Chinese Lanterns. What a magnificent sight to watch then float up into the night sky carrying prayers for a long and happy life for bride and groom.

What a day!  A day filled with dreams coming true and goals being met. A day of love and power and positive energy.  A day that filled this woman’s heart with emotion to last a long time. Peace.

Some are straight and some are topsy turvey. As roads would have it, there are crossroads in life as well. The most confusing, baffling, difficult whatever you call it, is the crossroad in life.

When we face a crossroad, the mind comes to a standstill as to which road to take. Which road is going to take us where? There are few roads, which will lead you to happiness, fame, glory, and fortune, but on the other hand there are few which would take you towards sadness, failure, defeat, disappointments.

We have to decide which road we would take with completely no clue where we going to land at the end! No assurances ….No guarantees! Since life offers us no guarantees and assurances, it’s better to take that risk and make that decisions because unless we don’t decide, and go that way we will never know whether the decision was right or wrong.

Instead of standing on the crossroad it is better to move forward. It’s not always that the road, which we think is right for us, that is going to give us happiness, there are certainly going to be heartbreaks. You might not achieve what you had thought, but at least you tried. We really do not have power on the outcome but we definitely have the power of our decisions. Taking risks, does not mean to decide in the spur of a moment! Think and then move forward.

If we had known that the road we are choosing is a wrong one and it can make us lost, or the outcome is going to be bad, we would have never have decided to go that way. We will only know about the outcome once we walk that road, whether the decision was correct or worthless.

When we have to choose, we need to analyze the options we have, sometimes we have many options, sometimes very few and sometimes none at all. We need to weigh the pros and cons, and create options of our own if we don’t have any!

We cannot find the confidence to decide at times, especially when we have no idea what the consequences are going to be. Trust yourself and think that it’s the best decision at that point of time. Do not regret it whatever the outcome, learn from it and make better decisions in future. Always remember life will give us more chances to make right decisions.

And after all, I believe it’s all the matter of perspective, as to what you want to be a lost traveller or accidental tourist, because you never know which road opens which new horizon! peace.

Memories and remembrance have been a theme for this long weekend. It began last Thursday with Memory Day for my 8th grader. Mass was followed by a morning of awards, speeches and photos. Watching the sideshow looking back and remembering days gone by made me sad on so many levels. I was sad that moments in time had slipped away. I was sad that friends and teachers had passed on. I was sad that my little curly girl had grown up right before my eyes and was leaving the safe place she had called home for 11 years. Sadness permeated my soul.

I was reminded by the priest at Mass that we remember the bad more than the good. Why is that? I wanted her to remember every moment of her time in school. Not just the bad. I wanted her to remember the good and great times too. I wanted to pause, breathe and commit this morning to memory. I wanted to freeze this moment in time. So I took pictures and mental snapshots of this last morning together. Her final day as an 8th grader.

This weekend was also Memorial Day. Saturday morning I ran a 10 mile race dedicated to freedom and veterans. I really focused my energy on those who have given their all for my freedom. Crossing the finish line was done with a dance….a dance of liberation and freedom. A dance of gratitude.

I am grateful for all those men and women who have put on and will put on a uniform to protect the warm blanket of security and freedom I sleep under each night. If there is one thing I hope to instill in my own children and the children I teach is gratitude to our military men and women as well as their families. Our military sacrifice so much on a daily basis and some pay the highest price for all we hold dear. There is a time and place to disagree with the government and politicians. Taking these frustrations and aggravations out on our military is not only unfair to them but disrespectful. The average age of enlisted personnel is 20 years old. Many join up not being able to legally drink but they can legally die for their country. Many enlist to gain education and assist in supporting a family. Many have never left their home state and before they know it they are halfway around the world in a place they have only seen in books or on t

Military service is a task many of us would not choose for ourselves or our children. It is not easy nor glamorous but it can be rewarding. It is our job to reward these heroes and she-roes on a daily basis by thanking them for serving our country. It is our job to assist their families in any way possible. It is our job to remember …. The bad and the good ….. but mostly the great. peace.

Decisions come in all shapes and sizes. As simple as coffee or tea to complicated decisions about a job, marriage, or a child. Some decisions are effortless and do not require second guessing. Some decisions cause us to lose sleep and become regretful.

Why cant we trust ourselves and our choices? Why can’t we make a decision and live with it without remorse or regret? Why is every decision fought with anguish? I know many people who can make choices and never look back. no regret. No remorse. Just moving forward comfortable with the decision they have made.

I wish I could be that person. I wish I didn’t look back. I wish I could just move forward. These things take time. I wonder for days and weeks (sometimes years) if I have done the right thing. I wonder how things would have been different had a made different choices. It is difficult for me to trust myself. I constantly second guess myself as I worry about pleasing everyone. I make decisions for others all day every day. Why is it so difficult for me to do this for myself? Peace.

Just when you think you know your kids, they do something that surprises you. This morning I got a text from 16 asking if she could cut her hair off from Locks of Love. This meant that 8 inches of hair would leave her head. Her hair is her pride and joy. I thought she was kidding. She was not.

Later in the day I got another text …”it’s done. I have no hair”. I thought she had really cut off all of her hair. when I shared this with her siblings their reaction was amazing as well. They were beaming with pride that their sister had done something so bold.

Her father was not so thrilled …. In fact he was very upset. I know he is “old school” about his girls and their hair but this was not about “just another hair cut”. This was about my daughter doing something bigger than herself…something selfless. Mom understood and would deal with Dad…..

I arrived at school to pick her up And her hair was not as short as I thought. We headed to the salon for a professional to fix it all and make it look nice. A small price to pay.

A dear friend called this a ‘mitzvah’. From what I understand this means that 16 is morally and ethically accountable ….mature.

At the least expected time my kids surprise me in many wonderful ways making me so very proud to be their mom. I am so blessed….and proud. Peace.