Thankful For, Remembering Sara, and Possible Tattoo

 After a very lazy, lounging, stay home sick kind of day yesterday, I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to make the most of this day.  We all are.  The kids woke up excited to be at school and we all seem to have a sense of gratitude and productivity surrounding us.  

A Few Thankful Bullets today:

• Boston training officially starts on Monday with a 24 week plan.  The first phase will just be about getting in shape and building some base...slow and steady.  Above all, I'm just excited to have a goal.  A focus.  Something to work towards.  The drive I find when I'm training for something almost always carries over to the rest of my life and I end up with this extreme sense of accomplishment.  Life is just all around better when I'm training for something....I'm more focused and determined, I smile more, sleep better, my jeans FIT, my body takes on this really awesome shape that I LOVE and only comes with hard work, food tastes better, a glass of wine or beer feels well earned, I'm a more energetic person, more creative mom....I'm so excited to just TRAIN.  Not so much hungry for a HUGE time goal right now.  I'm sure this will change as training progresses.  My main wish is just:  To run strong, stay injury free, find JOY in training, run just for ME and BE HEALTHY!  The time goal should come right along with this.  
• Autumn Leaves...SO MUCH BRILLIANCE!  Color everywhere.  I love this time of year.  
• Feeling like myself for at least 3 weeks in a row now...Ha!  This is a good sign.  I just feel a peace and sense of Rightness with myself, my future plans, life changes, friendships, etc. that have been foggy for me at various times this year.  Feels good to feel good.  
• Feeling more and more SURE that a move to Asheville, NC for a year or so is the right decision for our family.  A new adventure but knowing that we will be back here makes it seem like just that...an adventure.  Going from one GORGEOUS place to another...but having the opportunity to see the east side to this country..great travel opportunities for a year.  
• Abundant Love in my friends and family.  So blessed with them. 
• Thanksgiving approaching...Love this holiday. 

I went to my friend Sara's memorial service on Saturday.  It was just the kind of memorial that Sara would have wanted.  So many stories that made us all laugh, just as Sara would have made us do.  Stories that made me us all walk away filled with so much JOY at not only remembering who Sara was to the world...to us, but at the feeling of having Sara in our heart forever reminding us to be our BEST SELF...the best she saw in all of us.  

"I came away from Sara's memorial today smiling and filled with Joy at the memories of her and hearing the Sara Memories from others. I know Sara must have been smiling to see so many people come together like this...new and old friends, remembering...Sara...and each other. Hearing the stories about Sara's life made me want to BE MORE LIKE SARA...I was INSPIRED to say the least...as I always have been by her. She clearly lived her life in a most extraordinary way...one that left everyone feeling loved and "Best Friended" by her. I think I need a WWLD (What would Lasky do?) bracelet made...or better yet, my first tattoo in honor of her. So Thankful for this most perfectly Sara-fied memorial. So, what kind of tat would say SARA? Certainly one that would make me feel joy, laughter, love, beauty, laughter, passion, compassion, and spice...all rolled into one. hmmmmm...."

I've never wanted a tattoo before.  I've thought about it for brief moments but have always said that I never had anything I'd want on my body permanently. As cheesy or cliche as it sounds, leaving Sara's memorial made me want my first tattoo...a remind of Sara..what she was to all of the world....the parts of her that I want to be more like.  Or rather the parts of her that reflected MY BEST SELF.  In thinking of what symbol would best represent what Sara was and what I wanted to remember for my life, I asked a  mutual friend her opinion and I loved what she said:

"I think a tattoo of a leaf is an awesome tribute to her memory. Not just because she was a lover of the outdoors and an expert friend to all nature. But because, like a leaf, she was given to change with the seasons of her illness and remained beautiful throughout every turn. Then, there's the rebirth in new growth of fresh leaves in spring. New beginnings for us to carry on as she would have in the 
unexpected seasons of our own life."

The next day, I went on a run and Sara was everywhere....

"I saw Sara Lasky everywhere on my run this morning. She was in every brilliant fall leaf that covered the sidewalks and that fell down on me as I ran under the trees...reminding me to live my life just a little bit brighter...to love a little fuller, smile a little wider, notice MORE, see others a little deeper and keep giving of myself through the seasons that life has to offer. And I didn't run with a watch today but I know that I was running faster and stronger than I feel most days...thanks for pushing me Lasky...and reminding 

me to be a FULLER me. Gosh, you inspire me Sara."

I probably won't get this tattoo anytime too soon.  This is something I want to be thoughtful about...something I really want to take time in deciding.  I did come up with some really quick (under a minute) sketches yesterday just for fun. I was only trying to come up with a quick image to then give to my mom, an artist, so she could come up with something but I actually like what I came up with on first instinct.  Kind of like Sara was helping me.  Then I grabbed a blue ball point pen and made a sloppy sketch on my stomach to see if it was a place I'd like this image.  I'm not so sure I'd want it on my stomach and I'm certainly thinking I'd make it much smaller...like half the size.  There are several locations I'm considering.  I want it to be somewhere where I can see it but not necessarily where everyone else can see it all the time.  I came up with a design that if you look closely, you can see the S for Sara in the vine (subtle), a leaf for each of my loves in my family (husband and 3 kids)...a symbol that stands for so much....change, beauty, growth, resilience, love and so so much more... A tattoo that reflects life, love, my best self, and in memory of the Sara and what she brought out in all of us....The Sara that we all loved.  My first sloppy draft just for fun (again, this is a messy pen sketch on my skin..not what it will look like...only for deciding the location...would look different...ha!):

Since starting this post, I've already dropped my kids off at school, went on a 5.5 mile run, picked up my daughter from Kinder and now we are off again to get my son from preschool and make this day a bright one.  And a bright one it already is!

1. What are some things you are thankful for today (big and small)?  
2. Have you ever thought of getting a tattoo?  Tattoo fan...yes or no?  Do you have any? 
3. And what are some of your favorite locations for tattoos?  I'd like a location where my tattoo can be hidden or shown.  And I think I'm really into a much smaller tattoo than the one shown in the picture...something meaningful, beautiful, but not flashy.  I like the idea of the inside of the wrist, side of stomach, lower stomach, possibly foot...
4. What is your favorite thing about training for a marathon/half marathon?  For me, this comes down to having something to help me focus and feel that drive and dedication that comes with working towards a goal.  This time around, I'm not so sure a time goal matters to me as much.  I'm just excited to have the structure and sense of accomplishment that comes from training...that tired but satisfied feeling. And the energy and motivation that carries over into EVERY other area of my life...making me thrive.  

Amanda