This Shit is So good.

I'm glad you're here.

No really. I am so glad you are here.

You could have slept in. And I guess I could have too. But we showed up. And we crushed it. Today was awesome for me. For no particular reason that I can put my finger on. I've been struggling to find some of that mythical workout-motivation-mojo recently. And that is a new phenomenon for me. I've always been a pretty self motivated, but lately I've been finding it all too easy to make excuses and figure out how the deck is stacked against me.

I guess that's what I love about NP so much. The shit is always so good. Getting up and hearing, "I'm glad you're here." is so basic that it is always awesome.

Don't get me wrong. Hugs are amazing. But hearing "I'm glad you're here." hits the spot completely demolishes the spot.

We both could be in bed under warm sheets (in our respective beds). And bed always seems like a better place in the morning. Sure, you can get a solid bounce while still in bed. And you can even scream "Fuck yeah!" at the top of your lungs a couple times if you're into that sort of thing.

But doing these things always seems just a little bit better at the Harvard Stadium with a bunch of smiling, hugging friends.

So that being said, I don't want "I'm glad you're here." to fade off into the distance and lose meaning. It holds dearer than the "Hi-how-ah-ya?", "Good-n-you?" exchange. And it's better than a quickly mumbled, "How's it going? (But don't really tell me because I don't care)." The same way a hug totally dominates a handshake.

If you have ever run into the wind, you realize and acknowledge the headwind100% of the time. It's in your face. Your mind is constantly focusing on the harder the effort you are putting forth to maintain the pace. Just like the obstacles and hurdles you have to deal with during the day. But when you turn around and and things switch to a tailwind, it's all too common that you only recognized and appreciated for a minute or two. After the initial relief, it's easy forget about it and you appreciate it less.

The connection I am trying to make is that I find it's so easy to play the world's smallest violin for myself and it takes effort to find the subtle special moments in the day. Hearing and expressing, "I'm glad you're hear." is one of those subtleties. Every time I say it, I mean that shit. And everytime I hear, it means something back.

So thanks! I've been bouncing around a lot but it's good to be back. This shit is so good. I can't wait to start dropping verbals all over the place. I am truly glad to be sharing my morning with you all.

I know it's a little late for an Irish Blessing having missed St. Patrick's Day. But here's a little better version tailored for real life...

May the road rise up to meet you,

(but if it doesn't, don't be afraid to meet it halfway)

May the wind be always at your back,

(and try to appreciate it every second that it is)

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

(but try not to worry too much when it is not)