Married to the Army: Confessions of a Questionably Sane Army Wife: The 9-11 Run for Remembrance

Last Saturday night, I ran the Soldiers’ Angels Run for Remembrance. It was a 9hr 11 minute race around a mile loop at Olmos Park in San Antonio. We ran on teams of 9-ish people, and passed a baton from one runner to the next for the entire evening. I am not sure how many miles we ran…. but I know that our team did will over 75 miles that night—everyone pushing themselves for an awesome (or in some people’s cases a non-humiliating) mile time. To say it was an amazing experience would be an understatement— about 3 hours into the endure-athon, the entire atmosphere of the park changed. Teams became friends. Stories of 9-11 were shared. Soldiers raced around the track wearing body armor and carrying rucksacks. And everyone took turns destroying the porta-johns as miles of sprinting started taking a toll on weary bodies (Especially those who ate Chipolte an hour before the start).

(Team Chaos/ Team Never eat Chipolte before running for 9 hours. (Some lessons in life need to be learned the hard way)

Words like camaraderie, patriotism, and sacrifice were reintroduced into my vocabulary, and for the first time in over a year, I was able to think past what this war has ungraciously cost me… and hear what this war has stolen from others. Deployments, wounds, broken families, shattered lives, and fallen soldiers—all of us there had a story to tell. All of us, had been to more funerals then any 30-something ever should have to attend. All of us shared the fear that the war is still raging, like the uncontained fires in Central Texas, and can consume us at any time.

But what amazed me most—and humbled my soul-- was that the runners at the 9-11 race refused to give up. Quitting was not an option—even when the exhaustion was visibly apparent and they struggled to keep upright and to keep moving. One foot in front of another became another metaphor of survival. Never stop. Never quit. Run the race of life for those you love.

Yes, the tragedy of the 9-11 catastrophe has touched us all. We can cower in our fear, lose ourselves in our grief, or find ways to accept—and hopefully someday embrace-- all of the changes that have circled around us for the past ten years. Yes, life has never been the same. Yes, 9-11 ripped away our innocence. Yes, our armed services have been asked to deliver a virtual miracle. But what we need to remember is that hate and fear only lead down one path, and no journey based on anger has ever led to self enlightenment or peace.

As I stood on the finish line at 7:11 AM, the message was suddenly as clear as day. We all are asked to share our gifts-- and it is up to each of us to carry our weight, but life is more than just service to others. It is also about resilience, perseverance, strength, courage, forgiveness, and love. Do your duty—however you may be called to serve-- but remember we are all in this together. A good friend of mine reminded me today that, “Life is to short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, and forget the ones who don’t. Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance—take it; if it changes your life—let it. Nobody said it would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it.”