For a little over a month, many of the current and alumnae moms have been training for A Race for Maggie’s Place, held on October 7th. The program, called Fit Moms, was an opportunity for them condition with other moms while receiving free babysitting for their children. Sounds simple enough, right?
Wrong.
The sessions were held every Thursday evening for an hour and a half, after the moms had just endured long days of work, household life, chores, and countless other commitments. More often than not, there was at least one mom who was exhausted. There was probably a little part of her that wanted to skip it. Just this one time. If a mom gave in to her droopy eyes, she missed out on more than a workout and free babysitting; she missed the chance to receive support from the other moms.
One particular mom told me that the greatest benefit to keeping the Fit Moms commitment was having the opportunity to get to know some of the other women. In talking with them, this mom learned that she wasn’t alone in being tired, nor was she alone in wanting to overcome her fatigue and finish the exercise program. She told me that when she learned she wasn’t alone in these things, she found the motivation and strength to be faithful to her commitment to train for the race.
I find that this mom’s experience is indicative of any commitment that we make in our lives, whether big or small. We’re all gung-ho to make the initial promise, and we look forward to it…at first. But after awhile, we can grow tired, busy and anxious, particularly if we feel that it’s a commitment that we face alone.
At Maggie’s Place though, there’s nothing that we truly face alone. We work and live as a community. We support one another in our joys, our sorrows, and our responsibilities. When someone is struggling to keep a commitment, someone steps in to lend a hand. With such a support system, you can’t help but strive to be faithful.
