Race Day

Our Heroes

It is race day. After Christmas, Easter, and family birthdays, this was probably Roger's favorite day of the year. He has not missed a race since the day they started the Windermere 5K. 
Though he did his run through town almost daily when he was not on shift, he never signed up to run the race. He had a self appointed job. Greeter/Cheerleader.  
It is not even daylight yet and he would already have been up for a couple of hours. Last night we had to figure out what we needed for race day, because he always did this. 
Chairs, table, beverages, donuts....I can't figure out how to get the coffee to the front yard, especially since we now have a two cup coffee pot.

We have donuts a-plenty though, due to a very generous donation from Dunkin' to Dunkin' 

Donuts...I don't think most runners eat them, but Roger surely had fun offering them up as he encouraged and cheered and talked to almost everyone who came by his little corner of the world. 

If he had been running, his area of people he could talk to would have been...maybe 6.  Ah, but on the corner...up to 1000!  Yes, his gift was people.

This year the committed decided to honor hometown first responders. We have some great ones out here. We have EMTs, Police Officers, Firefighters, Doctors and Nurses.  I often wonder if we take the time very often to thank those who would be the first to respond to a call for help.  We do it when we call them, or right after. We think to thank our military when we see them in uniform. Most first responders are just everyday people. You might not even recognize them if they were not on duty. They will always answer the call for help, and more than that, their eyes are always on the road - they often see the need before we call for help.

That happened in Roger's life and now it all connects. He did not run, because from his position, he could check on each and every runner as they neared the finish line. He was doing more than visiting and cheering. He was keeping watch for a potential need.  

Today we are honoring both Officer German, who left this earthly life while on duty, just checking up on someone who might need help.  We honor Roger for 52 years of service as a first responder, who kept an eye on people in his little town and answered the call more than once in the 35 years we have lived here. 

Both are greatly missed, but their eternal joy can't even compare to the joy we experience on race day. I expect that would be Roger's Lesson. He keeps showing me the same thing over and over.
Plan for tomorrow, live as if this day will be your last on your earthly journey to eternity.

We will do our best to watch for potential emergencies....but boy, we are not good at it!

Happy Race Day