A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, “Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river.”
The little girl said, “No, Dad. You hold my hand.”
“What’s the difference?” Asked the puzzled father.”There’s a big difference,” replied the little girl.”If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go.”

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person who loves you rather than expecting them to hold yours. 

My wife Kathy has been secretly strengthening our bond for the last 3 months.  As she watched me enjoy my running over the last 2 years since my surgery, she decided to stop being a spectator and join in.  As I continued training after the half marathon for the Cleveland Turkey Trot, she had started her own regimen of running.  Keeping it secret only from me; neighbors, family, and friends kept me in the dark.  And then on Wednesday night, hours before the run, she revealed the great surprise.  I am still in shock and awe at her dedication and persistence at a sport I thought she would never undertake.  She nursed herself past a few injuries and painful runs and showed up in a huge way on Thanksgiving Day.

Despite 22 degree race time temperature and slippery road conditions, we both headed out together and competed with the other 10,000 crazies.  Kathy finished an amazing 25th in her age group to put her in the top 10% in her very first race ever.  I managed to improve last years time by several minutes and finish in the top 5%.  A very rewarding day for us both.  So like the little girl holding her daddy’s hand, I will reach out my hand to hold on to Kathy’s.  I will be ever thankful on this holiday to remember her sacrifice to tighten our bond and create an opportunity for a lifetime of running highs.

My heart continues to pump strong and steady.  I had a full evaluation from bloodwork and echocardiogram to MRI/MRA.  Everything is in perfect working order and I couldn’t feel better.  I thank everyone for the continued support and wish you all a happy and festive holiday season.