Gather ye rosebuds

On Easter Sunday when I got up to get ready to run with Sid, I let Jack the dog out to pee as I usually do. He came back in wet, and I almost decided to call Sid and cancel. I knew though, that he would be waiting for me. I thought about a poem by Robert Herrick that my sister likes and my daughter says is about sex. She would know, being an English major. The title is To virgins to make much of time, so she might be right. As much as I like poetry, I am not very good at interpreting what the author is trying to say. I think poetry is like the Bible - it can be interpreted differently depending on what you are looking for. Here's the first few lines of the sex poem:

Gather ye Rosebuds while ye may

Old time is still a flyin

And this same flower that blooms today

Tomorrow will be dyin

After my coffee, Jack and I went out into the rain and into that great smell of spring and newness and I was immediately glad I did not call and cancel our run. As I ran towards Sid's house, I thought about him and how he probably never would consider bailing out of a run because of a little rain. He is 82 years old and while none of us have any guarantees, he probably thinks about how much longer he will be able to do the Sunday runs more often than I do. I also thought of my friend Bob, who has ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Bob says we all know there's a big truck heading for us someday, but he can see his coming. Bob's disease continues to slow him down but not keep him off the road. He would not cancel a run for a little rain, either. He knows his time is limited. He along with me and two other friends will do the Boston marathon in a few days. This will be Bob's last marathon. Hopefully it will not be mine. I thought about my mom in her chair, lonely with her books and TV, recovering nicely from her stroke and without her cigarettes. My dad left her alone and did not come get her as I had worried he would.

Jack and I ran into the rain. He looked back at me as if to say "Isn't this great". Dogs know how to enjoy each day as if it will be their last. We humans do not. We got to Sid's and I got my hug and Jack got his treat. Sid didn't comment on the rain. All he said was "I should have worn shorts instead of these tights". Older people learn the wisdom of animals I think. They are much better at enjoying each day than the rest of us are.

I read on the national weather service website that the day of the Boston marathon is going to be windy with heavy rain and a temperature of 42 degrees. We will be there, gathering our rosebuds, no matter what. And our poem will have nothing to do with sex or virgins - only running while our legs still can.