Run In, Run Out

By Ellen Tan, D.O., Class of 2020
Dublin

Run In, Run Out
I first met you in 7th grade.
My new white Nike’s on the dark pavement felt like floating on clouds.
You taught me the value of hard work.
When I felt like giving up, I kept going.
You taught me patience and perseverance.
Results do not come overnight. It is progress day-by-day.
You taught me how to love myself.
Through mind, body, and spirit.
You gave me an outlet to express my wandering thoughts.
Reflecting about the day, about life, about meaning, about purpose.
I look around and revel at the beauty of our home, planet Earth.
The way the sun’s rays shine down through the canopy of trees.
The way the branches reach and hug one another with open arms of soft leaves.
The way the breeze tickles the nerve endings of the trigeminal on the face.
The way the feet hits the ground in a rhythmic pattern like a mantra in meditation.
The way the fresh air smells of open spaces, earthy dirt, and greenness.
The way the ice-cold water tastes on the tip of the tongue afterwards.
You taught me how to feel more connected to the world and with shared humanity.
We are all in this together with a common mission to improve health and wellbeing.
Run in, run out.