The fabric that feels good.

Saturday morning was beautiful. My wife and I took her son Matt up to a local school so he could participate in a running event. The entry fee for participation was 4 cans of food for needy people. I watched these young elementary school students and their families enthusiastically participate and support this great cause. The smiles and cheers were many as these young runners put one foot in front of the other, from start to finish, willingly and happily.

In one of the half-mile races, this young boy with Down Syndrome was struggling and ended up walking far behind the rest of the pack. As he approached a point in the course where he was closer to the masses, his face lit up and he started to trot, then a jog, then he was running! As he passed by me and I saw his smile and the love and support he was receiving from people he didn't know, I soaked it all in and was very grateful to be there in that moment. That event had fabric.

Yesterday morning was beautiful as well. My wife, step-son and step-daughter arose and headed out to downtown DC. I have been wanting to get my lazy butt back in shape so I signed up to run in the inaugural 5K run to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (http://www.nleomf.com/). As all of the runners stood in a cool breeze waiting for the start, an officer from the DC Metropolitan Police Department beautifully sang the National Anthem. I looked up at the standard of this great country and reflected on the many selfless sacrifices made by willing Americans to make yesterday possible. It was easy to pay tribute to them with a little time, sweat, and effort.

As I took off at the start I felt pretty good. I watched my step-son and step-daughter launch like two bullets.......I knew that would be the last time I saw them until the finish. They are both in great shape and quite good runners. I started losing steam fast. I have been somewhat inactive of late and traveling a lot. Not an excuse, just my reality. I tried to stay focused on running to honor those fallen warriors who paid the ultimate price in service to their communities and our nation. As I struggled up a hill on the south side of the U. S. Capitol a thought occurred to me. The discomfort and pain I felt at that very moment paled in comparison to the probable fear experienced by many of those great Americans when they realized that their tour of duty was over. It was a humbling experience.......an experience that had fabric.

With the busy weekend drawing to a close I settled in back at home Sunday evening, tired and ready for bed. I turned on the tube to check on some football scores. I guess it was fate that I hit CBS just as 60 Minutes was coming on. Their opening story took the viewers to a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4531399). These guys are in the thick of the fight, existing each day where most Americans would never venture. They voluntarily do what has to be done so we can spend weekends with our families; cheering, running, honoring, living. More fabric.

I was spent. Between the two runs, a wonderful orchestra concert watching my daughter perform beautifully, and a soccer victory for Matt's team, I had nothing left to give. I had taken in much from the weekend and reflected extensively on what made it all possible. Sometimes we forget to stop and really embrace these moments we are given. They don't come to us because we are deserving. They come to us because we are blessed. All that is good has a price and many have paid on our behalf.

Our nation's fabric is its communities, its children, its servants, its families. Without these we would cease to exist. Without these we would have nothing to fight for. Take the time to look around, appreciate what you have, get involved, share the burden of responsibility for keeping this country the best on the planet. To do anything less is to be ungrateful, and dishonor those who have done and continue to do so much.