I almost forgot to mention a delightful experience at the Kiawah marathon. Kiawah is held in a gated community, and runners were quite alone for the bulk of the race. It was refreshing to finally see spectators at the mile 13 turn-around point.

My children were there, and had created encouraging posters and chalk designs (subversively defacing the upscale community’s pavement). Focused, I could not read the signs as I ran by. Only after the race did I see them in full. Of course they were lovely. But I was particularly struck by what my youngest son (age four) created.

He would accept no help for his poster. He wanted it to be his unique contribution to race-day signage. I’m not sure how to respond to this, but he adamantly stated that the poster was not for me. It was for all of the runners. So he had held it aloft for some time to encourage the most people possible.

There’s just something precious about a sign created by an individual who cannot yet read or write. I don’t know what I enjoyed most; his earnest desire to personally encourage runners in his own way, the hilariously indecipherable art, or his determination to hold it up for as many runners as possible.

Well met, boy!