7.07.2010

Footprints On Our Hearts

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom...

Last night was the Sole Runners Going Away Party for Coach Gary at McKenna's on the Bay.

Coach Gary is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. His odyssey is going to begin with volunteering an orphanage in Nepal's Kathmandu.

From there, his peregrination will include conquering Mt. Everest, looking for a guru in India, teaching ChiRunning in Cambodia, and giving English lessons in Korea. He plans to chronicle his experiences both online and in a paper journal.

Coach Steve started off the evening with a heartfelt tribute. Some Sole Runners shared Coach Gary anecdotes that evoked laughter. Others attested to the positive impact Coach Gary has had on their lives.

I loved the dichotomy of a Boston qualifier thanking Gary for pushing him to run faster than he ever thought he could followed by a back of the packer thanking Gary for giving her 'permission' to slow down when she was going too fast.

The spiritual aspect of running was an ongoing theme throughout the night. More than one Sole Runner thanked Gary for reminding them to appreciate the beauty that surrounded them.

A group of us pooled together money for Gary to donate to the orphanage in Nepal. We also let him know we'd be more than willing to contribute additional funds in the future.

I wish Coach Gary all the best on his quest for spiritual enlightenment.

Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. Flavia Weedn

7 comments:

  1. How awesome for him!!!! I wish him luck and safe travels and amazing spiritual enlightenment!

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  2. Coach Gary sounds like an inspiring man. It also sounds like he'll be greatly missed.

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  3. All the best for him. He'll touch many more on his travels.

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  4. Wow - how does some decide to do something like that? Very cool.

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  5. What an amazing sounding guy! I'm sure his chronicles will be fun to hear about.

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  6. It was a very cool night, thanks for inviting me! I love that he is going to continue spreading all of his positive energy!

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  7. Hey! Just found your blog! Your coach sounds like a great guy! I wish him all the best!

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