In Pursuit of Peace
In order to keep the family peace I’m willing to do just about anything, but sometimes it’s difficult to push my ego aside. I’m struggling with my ego this weekend and relying on a good friend to counsel me and help guide me “to pursue peace with all people (including Yao Kondo), or no one will see the Lord.”
Lord, knows I need to see the Lord in him (Yao), because I’m having a hard time seeing anything good these days. Peace is possible!
Daughter’s Travels
Aya is on a 10-day excursion across the south. I’m excited for her and miss her terribly. She’s taking a “Sojourn to the Past” with a wonderful educational group based out of California. They left March 11 and will return March 20. Her teachers at Central High have been wonderful and supportive of her missing classes and have all agreed to help her continue succeeding in their classes.
As part of the trip, these high school kids from Arkansas, California and New York get to visit historical landmarks and meet key players in our nation’s civil rights past, present and they represent the future. I’m so proud of her. She’s called me every night from her Atlanta hotel room to tell me every detail of her day. Today she heads to Selma, Ala., with the group and will end up here in Little Rock on Friday after touring spots in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mississippi. They end the trip in Memphis.
She’s with my friend Spirit’s mom, who you may know is our own civil rights hero, Minnie Jean Brown. I Jean is taking care of my child well. She’s the mom of 6 delightful adults today. She’s also a pretty dynamic grandmom too. She’ll help my child embrace what’s true and meaningful about this trip, but most of all she’ll stand in to massage Aya’s heart too. My 14-year-old is learning about some heavy stuff on this trip. She’s sensitive, kind and gets confused by ugly human behavior both past and present.
Jean’s experienced some things in her past that I know, when she shares them with Aya and the other students on this trip prepares them for tackling just about anything in their futures. My daughter’s travels this next week don’t include me, but the mom she’s with is a perfect stand-in. I am grateful.
Checkout “Sojourn to the Past” at www.sojournproject.com It’s a social justice and Civil rights education project that allows students to experience history and inspire the future.
Running Keeps Me Sane
Tomorrow is the Little Rock Marathon. I’ll run the first leg of a four-person relay. I’ll love it. My mind has been packed with worry and concern over the past week. I lost a dear friend last week. We buried her Tuesday.
My wasband and I have not been getting along so well. I am sad for my children because of this current rift. I deal with this type of stuff by exercising and staying engaged in healthy activities like volunteering at the Little Rockers Marathon this morning. No, my son did not participate. He’s been with his father the past week, more than I would like, but peace is a necessity in a divided household. I’m really trying to keep the peace.
I started running long distances when I left my husband three years ago. It has kept me balanced, strong and capable of dealing with unpleasant conversations and exchanges with him. I know there are lots of other reasons to run, like weight control, fitness, and cardiovascular strenghtening. I run to maintain my sanity and peace of mind when I’m up against someone who sees life so differently than I do.
I look forward to the race and can’t wait to run my next marathon sometime this spring. I’m training to pace with a friend who is going to do 100-mile trail race. I’ll pace with him for the last 36 miles. I can’t wait.
I’m seeking more of my sanity on dusty trails and paved surfaces. I guess at this phase of my life running provides a perfect way to find what I’m looking for!
Run: 4-H Rocks
Tomorrow I’m planning on taking Kouadio, my 9-year-old son to ASU in Beebe to prepare for his first 4-H project — the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Project. He loves the outdoors and this project is a statewide competition that gets kids thoroughly trained on a certain terrain, its plants, animals, surface and everything in between. Each county has a WHEP team that competes on what they learn about urban forests or wetlands this season. It’s a great way to get children involved in conservation and make them aware of the land they share with other species.
I’m looking forward to him getting back involved in the 4-H program. My daughter did it for several years and she does great work with her heart, head, hands and health! After the marriage ended and I moved out, we stopped going to 4-H. But now he’s ready to get back into it. I’m glad. He’ll gain more than ever expected.
Check out the 4-H program in our state. You won’t be sorry you got your child involved. Here’s the link. In Pulaski County, contact Erica Harris at 340-6642. http://www.kidsarus.org/
Run: Reading Is Fundamental
I love to read and I love sharing reading with others. Volunteering to help children find great books is a pleasure I enjoyed yesterday at Otter Creek Elementary School’s final RIF day for the school year.
My friend, Emily Sigler, did a great job scheduling parents to volunteer and she read each of class a book titled the “Tacky Penguine”. The students got to dress out of uniform in the most tacky outfits imaginable to fit the theme of the RIF day. I loved it. They did too.
Scholastic Books donates thousands of books each year to schools to give children and help them develop a love of reading.
My son chose a chapter book he’ll spend time reading to me and alone. I’m glad he likes to read. We’re reading a fun book together, titled “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick. It’s 511 pages of drawings, text and excitement. Kouadio loves to draw and the illustrations are part of this amazing story about the French inventor Georges Melies. Kouadio likes to invent things and draw, so this story combines his intersts with his skills and I love watching him fall into the story. It’s like watching the cogs move in his brain.
Take time to read to children. It’s one of the most simple ways to nurture and bond at the same time.
Run: Friend’s Workout Frenzy!
I have a dear friend who owns a couple of fitness centers around town. He and his partner, my friend Debbie, are in great shape, both physically and mentally. They inspire a lot of people to be their best and give their best to whatever life tosses. My friend, Pat Riley, is inspiring me to work even harder as a runner by his sheer determination to complete what seems to me as an insurmontable goal.
On his blog at www.lrac.com from Feb. 15 to late April, Pat will chronical what its like to attend at least 110 fitness classes — some starting as early as 5:40 a.m. and finishing as late as 8:45 p.m. He’ll do yoga, zumba, NIA, body scultpting, kick boxing, spinning and so much more. That’ll be about 11 classes a week for 10 weeks. That’s got to equal at least a marathon a week!
I’m looking forward to reading how he survives. This man’s journey into the fitness abyss might be just the kick you need to get in gear and get off the couch this year. Make sure you check out his sweatfests. I’ll keep you updated too.
Me, Debbie, Pat, and our friend Sophie
Run: Nasty Science Fair Project
Science fair projects can provide helpful information and my daughter’s project will serve as useful data. PLEASE WIPE THE SHOPPING CART HANDLE BEFORE YOU USE IT!
The results of her project are in this photo. I had a friend at a lab at UAMS destroy this stuff properly. We can only tell you that it lives on shopping cart handles at the Kroger in the Heights. YUCK!
Nasty Stuff!
More Nasty Stuff!
Run: Momma Needs a New Pair of Shoes
I'll be back!
I’ve had to buy shoes for other people and my running shoes are old. I got them last August, ran a marathon, two 5Ks and a 10K, and several miles in between. You’re supposed to replace your running shoes every three months if you put more than 300 miles on them. My budget keeps me behind on my shoe replacement purchases, but I didn’t let that stop me from gettin my 6-mile run in one day last week. I’m training for the Little Rock Marathon relay for God’s sake! The Asics can handle another week, right?
Wrong! My upper thigh muscle on the right side, took most of the pounding last Thursday, and left me feeling like I’d broken something vital in my pelvic region. OUCH!
Well, after consulting with my ex-husband, a highly trained soccer player and former dedicated athlete who has suffered every kind of major injury known to athletes, he said to lay off running for at least 7 days.
“Rest, Shareware, and eat lots of meat and drink lots of water,” he said. Our conversation was civil and he is a trained health care provider. I’m trying to listen. It’s been four days and I haven’t run a bit. The weather today is warm. I’ll walk with my son and dog in the park a little, and not run.
My area is feeling much better. I’ve taken it easy and I’m itching to take off. But this time, I’ll do what the doctor orders, even if I don’t like it. I’ll hold out for some new shoes and pray one of the children doesn’t need a root canal or a new anything this week.
Chant with me as I scratch off my first Arkansas lottery ticket that old mantra uttered at crap tables in or pool halls, “Come on Lord, Momma needs a new pair of shoes!”
Run: Proud Mamma on Martin’s Birthday
Aya talks. I took this crappy photo.
That’s right, my 14-year-old had a press conference. I was so proud to see her approach the podium, say her name and give her reasons for applying to become one of nine high school students selected in the National Park Service’s Leadership Youth Academy: Agents of Change. She was poised, present and making her parents so proud.
These students will represent the National Historic Site as ambassadors of its mission and learn ways to develop skills and ideas that will shape them into leaders who emulate those like Martin Luther King Jr., and the Little Rock Nine.
“I’m just glad to have been chosen,” she said. “I look forward to this experience shaping me into the kind of leader who makes a difference.”
She’s a pretty awesome young lady. I congratulate her and the other eight students representing McClellan, J.A. Fair, North Pulaski, North Little Rock - West, Central and Episcopal Collegiate high schools. They’ll have to shape the program themselves with the guidance and grant money the Visitor Center provides and three of them will be chosen to travel on the Freedom Ride civil rights landmarks tour this spring. The students will have to give 25 volunteer hours to the Visitor’s Center, as well as attend two retreats, one at the site and the other at the Global Village event at the Heifer International Ranch in Perryville.
I learn from my children sometimes more than I teach them. I look forward to what she teaches me through her experiences in this program this year. Right now, she’s teaching me to pay attention to her as she learns to become the type of compassionate leader this city, state and country needs.
Leaders in the Making, 2010
Run: Working on Working Again Closer to Home
When the travel for a a job becomes more of a job than the actual work you do for the job, and your children suffer, it’s time to find a new job.
That’s where I am these days. I’ll have to change my bio, too. No longer working for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Can’t leave my children home with an unstable support system. They need their mom. I need to mother them. For now, I’m grant writing, freelance editing, freelance writing, and other contractual work from home, here in Little Rock. Need help writing a complete sentence? Give me a call.
I’m still running.
Shareese Kondo is the proud mother of two, amazing people, Aya, 14, and Kouadio, 9. She shares custody of them with her wasband, Yao. Shareese works for The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. An avid runner, biker and Mommy on the move, Shareese loves to run and train for marathons.