The Crisp, Clean Page

This will let you know what a total geek I am because I bet there aren't many of you out there that like a brand new crisp, clean sheet of paper just waiting for ideas to be written down and thoughts to be shared.

I love that sheet of paper -- all white and fresh just waiting to be filled with ideas. That's what this is -- the first blog. The first piece of paper where ideas take shape and begin to be catalogued. There won't be another one like this.

So what to say... (difficult to tap your pencil on that crisp sheet of paper when you are typing). But I already know where to start.. the words aren't foreign as they have been writing themselves in my head for several weeks now.

In November, D2 (daughter number 2) and I traveled to Phoenix, AZ (by car for 16 long hours) to watch our friend Jeanne compete in the Arizona Ironman. Anyone who has run an Ironman will tell you that it takes a team to support you as you take on this endeavor. There are those who wish you well when you are training and those who show up on long bike rides to ride with your for an hour. Some send notes as you are getting ready. Many spend a long time in cars or money on plane tickets to be there when you actually compete. To make it through the 140.6 miles you travel during the race (and all the swims, runs, and rides you put in before hand), you need a support system and it has to be a strong one.

This system has to be made up of people with different talents as well -- laughter, organization, grunt work (like getting your stuff at the end of the race so you don't have to), cheering, child care (if you are an ironmom), and may other talents too lengthy to mention here. But you need all kinds of people to "cheer you on" in their own special way.

As I watched this race unfold and all the people who cheered on Jeanne in their own special way, it occurred to me that a single parent needs an Ironmom team (or Irondad team) as well. And I've been pondering what exactly that means.

What kind of team do I have? What kind of team do I need? And more importantly, how can I set up teams for others? I am far enough along in my divorce to actually see color in the world again. The anger, the sadness, and the deep, deep loneliness I felt for so long have passed through my door. I feel comfortable in my skin, in our family, in the direction in which I am headed. Now I am looking for ideas to reach out to others and help them travel on their... maybe it should be called Irondivorce... journey.

Over the holidays, I read Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. This is his personal story of taking on the Alaskan Iditorod as a rookie. It is full of funny stories about his runs with the dogs but also of breathtaking beauty found in sharing life with his dogs. While not an Ironman, racing the Iditorod takes that same kind of team support.

What I liked about this book and about supporting Jeanne on her Ironmom adventure was how both of them stopped to enjoy moments along the way. They found "soul" in even the most trying of situations and kept on racing. I only have one dog but I do have three fabulous kids. We aren't running the Iditorod or the Ironman. In fact, I am not sure we are even racing. But we do have a lot of miles to cover. Here is the first crisp, clean page in my journey to find beauty in our daily adventures as we juggle this thing called life.