I truly adore receiving kind notes and fanmail. ANYTIME any of my lovely readers feels the need to let me know their innermost thoughts, feelings, and ideas, please feel inclined to personally contact me. I just received the most beautiful letter from a fan, and now I am going to send them a sample of shoe insoles I was given that are a fifty dollar value, not that I would throw fifty one dollar bills in her face! Lucky lady writing me fanmail, making a girl feel special. It makes me feel good about opening up and blogging more lately. Especially, as I am having my book edited to be published, probably before I have more letters after my name following grad school. Should my author name be Maddie without any degrees listed? Or should I wait and list everything as formally as possible? There are decisions to be made. Perhaps knowing I have and will have others is good enough, and I do not need to share that part of myself with the world of runners whom I have a run book to give in the near future; in ten years I want to make my students read about my running career. Connecting with others valid emotions helps you grow as a person spiritually, all feelings are valid in all forms of expression. Perspective is everything. Sometimes I look at things clinically, or sometimes I look at things personally with compassion, sometimes things have no idea how I look at them and it is really funny.
On dates sometimes, I enjoy remarking, “Did you get it all off of your chest?” Then, I laugh as they become more emotional, or feel compassionate and become helpful. Most times in life, there is a rational very logical solution to everything regarding personal matters. Take three deep calming and relaxing breathes. There have been times when my date was upset, and it was not that they were upset with me, I just needed to give them the opportunity to express those feelings. In some of the best relationships you can create in life you feel both devastation and joy, as well as everything in between. When I helped one of my best friends and mom suffering from cancer in highschool, after she passed away the end of our junior year, I knew she would be emotional, it was not a personal problem with me and it is really something difficult to live through; the best thing you can do is tell stories of lovely memories or be consoling. Since the day before kindergarten we have been more like sisters than best friends, and we live very close to each other. We both went to Disney World together, and ate chocolate covered bananas walking around Animal Kingdom, in matching hats; instead of the Paris school field trip that spring break. Endure the powerful times, and then having a special activity together is important. Emotional times are a powerful stress, to embrace and welcome in the front door, as is pain whilst running a marathon. You cannot marry someone who only likes you in run buns and spray tan during a 4.0 semester, you need someone who will be there for tears and you failing a class too, and feel the same for them. I have zero shame in admitting that. Bounce back balancing good and bad. I really do enjoy connecting with readers, it is fun for me when it happens. Running really is one of the best metaphors for life, at least for me as a runner.
