The Spirit of Christmas - Day 10

This one makes me cry.

If you know me, you know about my parents.  Both of them are disabled and in poor health.  My Mom was on hospice for a year and a half and has since been released.  Her health hasn't improved, but it wasn't getting any worse, so she was released from their care.
Daddy is a double amputee.  He lost both legs after an infection set in post-knee replacement surgery.
The last several years has been tough on them, and our family.  The toll isn't only physical, but also emotional and mental.
They don't have easy lives and Dad, especially, suffers with depression because of it.

Just before Thanksgiving, Daddy was in the hospital with an infection. He felt absolutely horrible and his depression was worse than I've seen it in a long time.
His infections have mostly healed, but his spirits haven't really lifted.

Until an angel visited him this week.

I'm not kidding - I believe that.

Daddy has a motorized wheel chair.  Sometimes, he will ride to the drug store in front of their neighborhood to get a few things they need.  It is good for him to get out of the house like that and it is nice that he can do that if I'm not there when they need something.
This week, he went up to the store and got milk and cat food.
On his way back home, his chair died.
Wouldn't do a thing.
Here he is, stuck on the street.
Now what?  Mom can't drive down to get him. He can't do anything to help himself.
Totally disheartening.
The sweet elderly man who lives in the house where Daddy's chair quit came outside to see what he could do. He got on the phone and called Mom. She called 911.
They are on a first name basis with Mom and Dad.
They are angels too - always coming to help if one of them falls.  And they are always so nice.  (Thank you, Pelham PD & FD!)
First, the police came to assess the situation.  Another neighbor (another angel) pulled his truck out of his garage. Then the paramedics showed up!
Now we've got neighbors, police, and medics - all being angels.

While all of these people were trying to figure out how to get Daddy home, the REAL angel showed up.

She was a young petite woman with an envelope in her hand.
She walked up to Daddy and said, "Somebody gave this to me and told me to pass it on to somebody who needs it. And you look like you need it."

Then she walked away.

Daddy looked in the envelope and it was $100.
What a sweet gift!  I don't know who she is, where she came from, or who gave her that money, but I do know that God started that whole chain of events for my Daddy.

While he isn't out of the dumps, he's not so far down in them now.

Merry Christmas, to my Daddy's angel - whoever you are!

November Thankful Challenge, the 11th

Today I am so very thankful that my Daddy got to "run" his first 5k with me.  You see, my daddy is a double amputee and rides in a power chair now.  I started my series of monthly 5k races in September in his honor.
This month's race was World Run Day.  It is a day set aside to promote the sport of running.  It isn't limited to time, distance, or pace.  It is all about just getting out there and doing it where ever you are!  Daddy can't roll on a closed course, so this was the perfect race for us to do together.
Several his friends, my friends, and even my step-daughter's friends joined us at the Pelham YMCA today for a 5k. The Pelham Y was sweet enough to measure out a 5k in their parking lot so that Daddy didn't have to try to get through grass or gravel.  We did our 13 laps - some people walked, some ran, some rolled, but we all finished!
It was so much fun to look over my shoulder and see my Daddy in a race!!!
I was overwhelmed with how much it meant to both me and Daddy.  What a fun day!  I am thankful that we had that opportunity.
The first time for everything is a learning experience - I'm ready to do it again, but bigger and better!

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Run Forrest Run

I don't think I have shared my Father's Day gift for my Daddy with you yet.
A couple of years ago, my dad lost both of his legs above the knee after battling a really aggressive infection for over a year.  Sitting in a wheel chair and learning to do everything from a seat has been difficult - physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Daddy has always been active in the sense that he was always up to something - fixing cars, building furniture, or trying something new.  Some of my favorite childhood memories were in his workshop in the basement of our house. I can remember hearing all of the noises downstairs in my childhood - the clang of his hand tools, the grinding power tools, and the loud exhales during his exercise routines.
If there was anything in the world I could have given him for Father's Day it would be new legs so he can get back to his active lifestyle.  I can't do that, so I decided to give him my own. Since I can't take them off and give them to him, I decided to use my legs for him.
I plan to run one 5k race a month until I am ready to run a half marathon.  I'm hoping that will happen in February and I'm certainly praying that we can get him there at the finish line with me!  Daddy and I will be doing this to raise money for several special causes that are important to both of us, beginning in September.
He's got a really big heart.  He likes to do things for others and see the smile that appears on their face.  He's always finding some little toy or treat to give to any child he comes in contact with.  His children, grandchildren, and surrogate grands are all so precious to him!  I wanted to give him something that helped him give more.

Below are the dates, the race, and the charity we will be raising money for.
September 3 - Color Run, for Team OneVerse (you can click that to sponsor me)
October 20 - Race for the Cure, for Cathy's Chemo-sabes
November 11 - World Run Day*, for the Greater Birmingham YMCA (?)
December - ? (Wish I could do St. Jude, but maybe I'll be ready for that half next year!)
January - ? 
February - Mercedes HALF MARATHON, ?

Here's the problem - I'm NOT a runner!  Well, I wasn't a runner.  I am becoming a runner!  I am on week 8 of Couch 2 5k.  I ran 2 miles straight this morning. I'm still a slow runner, but I'm doing it!  Every time I run and I want to stop, I just think about my Daddy who can't run.  Ever.

I wish Daddy had running legs!

*World Run Day can be done anywhere with anyone.  We are doing this at the local YMCA so Dad can ride in his chair next to me while I run.  I'd love to have a whole herd of people with us that day!  Anybody want to join us???