“This culture makes it really easy to act like we’re all doing okay, to act like our lives are perfect, polished, and one step away from completion. In reality, we are lonely and we are grabbing for things. We are jealous and we are comparing ourselves to others more now than ever before. We are restless and we are disconnected. I think social media is a beautiful thing, but I also think it allows us to fake being okay when we really aren’t. I think it zaps away this space that used to exist where we could talk honestly and openly and not get distracted from our pain and the pain of others...when you talk about your limp, something really cool happens. People get honest. They open up about their own hard stuff. We learn to rally with one another and not be defined by our weakness. Our weakness becomes a BRIDGE instead of a roadblock. We become light holders on that bridge, helping other people find their way out of the dark.” // H. Brencher
It’s been three years since I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and had to stop running competitively. One of my deepest hopes is that my “limp” isn’t about the disease, rather, it be a lighthouse for hope and a bridge for others to feel safe to share their fear, pain, hurt, and struggles. Today was my first race off the blocks since being diagnosed & starting treatment. I was nervous. I was also overwhelmed and grateful that, with the help of a great Medical team and some deep seeded stubbornness and determination, I was able to get back in the game.
I will forever run (and cheer wildly) for the underdog. I will run for those who go unseen and for those who hurt in quiet. I will run for those who don’t have a voice and need us to raise awareness, to rally around them, and to bring a call to action on their behalf. Today, I ran for you, the one who is on the bench and afraid to get back in the game right now...
May your limp be a lighthouse and a bridge. Get off the bench. It’s time. If you’re one who is on the field, call others onto the field with you. Listen well. Speak the good you see in others into their lives. Practice hard. Prepare well for game time. It’s time we link arms and rally together.
