Not Every Mile Needs to Be a Run
While I’m a runner through and through — and most of the miles logged in these sneaks are at a running pace — every now and then I slow it down and let the world come to me a little softer. Today was one of those days.
After the gym this morning, I asked my youngest if she wanted to go for a walk. To my surprise, she said yes — I didn’t even have to bribe her with Starbucks. So off we went into the humid Kentucky air for a three‑mile walk, climbing the hills in and around our neighborhood, talking, laughing, and just being present with each other.
Don’t get me wrong — we spend a lot of time together. She’s my gym partner (every damn day without fail), my movie partner (when we can squeeze it in), my shopping partner (when Mom is paying), my cooking partner (when the mood is right), my gardening partner (when the humidity isn’t trying to kill us), and my “let’s just run to the store real quick” partner — which we both know is never actually quick.
Outside of my husband, she’s my biggest day‑to‑day support. That doesn’t make my other kids any less important — she’s just the only one still living at home, navigating life with her parents on a daily basis.
But walking together is different. When we walk, she opens up in ways she doesn’t during gym time or movie time. She shares her thoughts, her judgments, her fears, her beliefs, her dreams. Sometimes we talk about a book she just finished. Other times it’s the movie we watched the night before. Sometimes it’s about her night at work, and other times it’s about a gentleman she fancies — and yes, I keep my mom‑face neutral even when I want to ask 47 follow‑up questions. But every time, it feels like the most meaningful part of my day.
When it comes to my kids, I try to be as present as possible — intentional, caring, guiding, and a light they can count on. It means the world to me that she trusts me with her innermost thoughts, and that I’ve built this kind of faith and connection not only with her, but with all of my children.
At the end of it all, while every damn mile matters, not every mile needs to be a run. Some miles are meant to be walked — slowly, intentionally, side‑by‑side with someone you love.
Tell me about one of your meaningful miles — walked or run. Who did you share it with, and what made it matter?
Every Damn Mile 