Motherhood, Motivation, and Moving Forward — Together
Caleb and I are evolving now, on separate but parallel paths.
He’s finally started to crawl — a feat that nearly had me in tears when I first witnessed it two weeks ago. He’s moving slowly, unsteadily, and very uncertainly… but he’s doing it. One leg in front of the other.
You know what they say: you have to crawl before you can walk.
And me? I’m walking. Trying to find my footing again — rebuilding good habits that got lost somewhere in Caleb’s first year.
Today will mark my third day of movement since Sunday. “Movement” should be full-on running, but for now, it’s a rhythm of walking and jogging. Because you also have to walk before you can run. It’s a truth I know intimately.
I remember it from my brief but glorious time as a half-marathoner — a woman who once cheered after running for one solid minute, then months later crossed the finish line of 13.1 miles. I’ll do it again. These short, steady walk/jogs? They’re exactly where I started the first time. And they’re what got me to the finish line eventually.
I discovered four years ago that running is not about athleticism — it’s about persistence and heart. And I’m no athlete. But I’ve always had the other two in abundance.
If I’m anything, it’s persistent. Stubborn, too — a trait I’m now starting to see forming in Caleb (Lord, help me!). But that stubbornness has served me well. It’s been reshaped into grit and determination over the years. When I set a goal, I follow through — not because it’s easy, but because I refuse to stop.
Since becoming a mother, my motivation for fitness has flickered. But now? I can feel it starting to burn again. That fire, that drive — the thing that once propelled me to do the hard things — it’s finding its way back.
I will lose the rest of this weight. I will run a full marathon someday — a dream I first whispered to myself after finishing my half. It won’t be fast. It won’t be easy. But it will happen.
The first steps are already behind us. He’s crawling. I’m moving.
In our own ways, we’re both learning how to move forward — one foot in front of the other, always.
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