Real Great Women

Today was the Fox Cities Marathon. I love this event because I usually know a few of the athletes and I love the course and finish area. Since I work in the Fox Valley, I almost feel a bit of home field advantage. This year, I participated in the Marathon Relay, running a 5 mile leg of the full marathon with some co-workers as team members. It was really fun. I found myself smiling and actually enjoying it, running even a bit faster than usual since I was accountable to the team.

As most of you know, I also won a special honor at the race. With an excerpt from the May 22 post from this blog, I was given the honor of being a "Great Woman of the Race," complete with a special pink shirt. (How I love gear.) There were 19 more of these women out there somewhere but I only saw two of them and was proud to be part of this special group. But the truth is, there are some really great women out there who aren't wearing pink shirts to display their greatness. They go about business quietly making an impact in their own special ways. I'll tell you about a couple of them. You might know them, and if you do, consider yourself very lucky.

There is a young woman who grew up in Ripon, not giving herself much credit. She didn't need to be a stand out athlete or valedictorian. In fact, I don't think she cared much for school or activities related to the place. But she always worked really hard, even if she had to go home stinking of french fries. She never seemed to be super confident but at some point, decided to take a giant leap on her own and moved across the country. She quietly finished college and a master's degree and has been teaching in a neighborhood where breakfast may be more important than learning to read and where showing a 6 year old some real love could be the most meaningful lesson. Now, she's expecting a child of her own and I don't know who will be blessed more, my sister or her baby.

Another similar but yet completely different story is about a woman who could put herself through graduate school while working full time and having two kids in grade school. She's smarter than most women I know but never acts like she is better than anyone else. In my eyes, she can almost do no wrong. She exudes confidence in a humble way, and has been super successful without taking anything for granted. You see where I'm going with this. She's a special combination of sophistication and simplicity. If you've ever met my mom, you know exactly what I am talking about.

So I'm still sitting here in my pink shirt, just a little lazy this afternoon, and I realize that there are great women all around me. I'm only "great" because I've been surrounded by greatness. And that greatness extends so much further. From my friends, to my co-workers, to the girl at the coffee shop who makes the best mochas. There are the women who are making a go with small business ventures, raising their kids (and sometimes their husbands), going back to school, fundraising for charities, and running corporations. Every single one of us has something great inside and the more we share with each other, the more great we all become.

The weeks are flying by and soon I will be taking off to Portland for the 1/2 marathon. I'll be joined by a few of the great women in my life. We'll keep you up to date as the weekend passes by. It's sure to be memorable. Special acknowlegement today to my sister in law, who completed a half marathon after five months of devoted training and about 60 pounds of weight loss and one of my running inspirations, Dianna, who finished her first full marathon. These women are at the top of that list of greatness today.

Now get out there and share your greatness with the women in your life!