The People Who Love to Run

Hi my dear friend,

I love living near a park.
Seeing the different seasons 
playing their symphonies 
right outside my windows.

And noticing the colours turn 
from muted to vibrant… 
in an astonishingly short 
amount of time.

And even though I know 
that's expected with 
the changes of a season… 
it still takes me by surprise 
every single year.

And then there are 
the dogs…
And I love 
observing them.

And the people 
at the other end 
of the lead.

Sometimes still sleepy, 
probably wishing they could 
go back to bed… 

but instead patiently waiting 
until their soft-pawed friends 
have sniffed the latest news 
by the flowerbed.

Oh, and I love seeing 
people out for a run. 

Just imagining 
how freeing it must feel 
when you love to run.

But that’s not me. 
At all!

Still… 
every time I see 
someone running, 
it brings me such joy 
just to observe it. 

Isn’t it wonderful 
that there are people 
who enjoy something 
so difficult?

But when 
I say this out loud…
My husband just
looks at me.

Haven't you been going 
to the gym every other day? 
Isn't that impressive too?

I try to reason with him… 

Yeah, but it's pilates. 
And I enjoy it. 
So it's not really the same. 
It's not too difficult.

But somehow 
he's not having it.

What you're doing takes effort. 
It's not easy. Yet you still do it. 
So don't sell yourself short.

And also… 
just so you know…

I have no doubt that 
if one day you decided 
to join them out there…
you could do that too.

Well,
I wasn't expecting that.

There are things you 
know about yourself. 
And then there are things 
someone else knows 
about you first.

And you can 
argue all you like. 
But something in you 
recognises that they're right.

I want to be clear though… 
I'm still not going to run. 

(although, never say never)

But I do want 
to cheer for everyone 
who does. 

Wholeheartedly and sincerely 
and often. 

And not only for the runners,
but for the sleepy dogwalkers,
and the pilates people… 
and for everyone else showing 
up for something difficult.

Because that feeling 
of someone believing in you 
is truly wonderful.

With love,
Elina Janevica

Artwork / Edgars Vinters, “Riverbank” (fragment), 20th century / personal collection