keep dreaming

So one really awesome side effect of pregnancy are vivid dreams. In my real life, I rarely even remember my dreams. But this life is a whole new ball game. Perhaps it's my hourly treks to the great white throne that give me ample opportunities to remember my dreams, but generally speaking, they are pretty boring. Just real life stuff.

(Oh except for that one time when Jess flew [with his arms] from Salt Lake to Lake Powell [instead of biking, as he's currently planning on and training to do], and I was oh-so-proud of his strong, flapping arms.)

But usually they're more normal. A problem at work. A conversation with Jess.

Last night, I was back home in St. George. I had had the baby, and I was out walking around the block, getting some exercise. It was night time, and the street lamps threw their big circles of light down, just like they did for years during my nightly runs, around and around the block. But this time I was only walking. I said hi to all the neighbors that were out walking too, just as they do in real life. We were all happy about the new baby, pausing to stop and chat every now and then.

And I was happy to be out, using my legs, even if it was just a brisk walk.

I turned the corner where you hit the homestretch to my house and suddenly realized that I could run.

I COULD RUN.

And I did.

And my legs got stronger and stronger. And I kept running. I ran past my house. Past the evenly spaced culs de sac that I've seen so many times before. Through the familiar beams of light that make our neighborhood feel so safe. My legs feeling so at home, like they had taken a deep breath for the first time in a long time.

And it felt so good.