Medicinal Mud

     I can be way too serious for my own good.  Full-blown belly laughs can be few and far between for me.  Not sure why, it just is.  Maybe because I tend to be an anxious person, but that is another topic all in itself!  With my current knee limits, I knew another half-marathon was not going to be written on my fall calendar.  So this summer, I decided to challenge myself with more fun than running.  I signed up for our local  "Muddy Mamas Mud Run".  Totally out of my comfort zone, and totally out of my way-too-cautious character!  Boy, was that "just what the doctor ordered"!
     What started out as a personal challenge to mix things up, turned out to be one of the best days I've had in a while.  Two other friends joined me in the craziness.  My children were excited to come and cheer me on as Mama got muddy.  My hubby wanted to spectate behind his camera and capture all the nitty gritty that the event would hold.  And my parents got wind of this event and came out to support my muddy morning--what could make parents more proud than watching their first-born get covered in mud!  ;)
     There's just something about peeling back that layer of logic and giving yourself permission to enjoy the moment; no matter how silly you may look!  From the very first Muddy Mama obstacle where I dove head first down a slippery tarp landing in a pit of mud and water, I felt a freedom I didn't know I missed.  From that moment on, it was game on!  It was like I came alive.  Anticipating the next obstacle waiting for me, facing it head on, watching my friends laugh with me as we became messier by the minute, and seeing my family cheering me on with grins spread across their faces (not with mud like mine).  Sometimes you don't realize how heavy your heart is until you allow yourself to breathe in a little laughter--the full blown belly kind that doubles you over in stitches.  "Laughter is the best medicine" holds much truth.
     My hubby did indeed capture every nitty gritty detail of the Muddy Mamas Mud Run from behind his camera lens!  Scrolling through all 215 pictures (hubby earned paparazzi status), I still couldn't stop smiling!  Some photos even cause me to bust out laughing all over again.  As I was sharing the pictures from that day, many friends commented on the way I was smiling through it all.  Well, that smile went much deeper.  It was a soul smile.  Medicine for a spirit more stressed  than I realized.  Muddy medicine that covered my body, but uncovered my joy!  What a great reminder that when life weighs you down with all of it's messiness, look Up to the One in control, and then look around for the next soul smile waiting for you.  :)

MUDDY MAMAS:  Left: me / Center:  Bonnie / Right: Tina