Date: Saturday, November 16, 2019
Distance: 10.24 miles
Listened to: Various Desert Islands Discs episodes, including actor Sir Ian McKellen and author Philip Pullman
Tait is a legend.
He is my cousin Emma’s son. He died on November 15. He had a very rare condition, which does not even have a proper name. He was wheelchair-bound for most of his life, struggled to eat and his voice was reduced to a whisper. BUT HE WAS AWESOME!
I cannot express how inspired I was and continue to be by this precious boy. Although his body’s functionality deteriorated during the 15 years of his life, his spirit was strong and he loved to love. I was lucky enough to spend time with him on three occasions in person and many times on FaceTime and via a video messaging app across the Atlantic to his home in Ottawa, Canada.
Tait had a beautiful smile, a Beavis & Butt-Head laugh, an appreciation of poo jokes, was a big fan of kisses, The Beatles, Oreos and meeting new people. An example of how wonderful Tait was his stint as a Walmart greeter. This was his dream. How could anyone not want to be welcomed to a store by that sweet face? You can view a news story on his special day here.
Although expected, his death was tough to take. My family all shed tears and will continue to do so. In some ways, it felt worse than when my Dad died. Tait was so young and he was fully aware of his decline. His immediate family is also so far away. All I want to do is rush over and hug them all, but Ottawa is 3,000 miles away.
As readers of this blog know, Dad was my inspiration for running. His lack of mobility during a hospital visit spurred me on to sign up for a 10k. I have been running ever since and it has helped me through some tough moments, not least Dad’s death in August last year.
When I heard of Tait’s passing, I was already half way into a 75-mile challenge for this month. I bumped it up to 100 miles the same day. The way I cope with grief is to find something positive to focus on. Everyone grieves, and should be allowed to grieve, in their own way. When Dad died, I could not do some of the normal things. I did not cry all the time, but shopping, cooking, Zumba…were all a struggle. Talking about Dad helped..as did running. Running is my solution for this sad situation too.
That meant not breaking stride in my current running regime. Having trained for the Great West Run (when I wrote Tait’s name on my wrist for inspiration) , I was at a loss as to what I should do next. Lovely husband John suggested repeating my half marathon programme with a bit of hill training thrown in. So, that was what I was doing in preparation for two half marathons fin 2020.
I was due to head out for a 10-miler the day after Tait’s passing. I ventured out with trepidation as emotional runs have not always gone well for me. This was the best run of my short, shuffling career. I did not stop and I got all the way up Cattery Hill for only the second time ever. Later in the week, I made it up other local inclines – Church Street, Suzi Hill and Highfield Drive – and could only theorise that Tait helped me along the way.
An angel on my shoulder maybe or an appreciation of the fact that I have two working legs. The usual urge to stop was overtaken by a reminder that I am lucky to still be here and to be able to move.
I am now at 83 miles, so I should get to the 100 by the end of month. No, I will get to 100 miles even if I have to crawl!
My precious Canadian family – Tait’s mum Emma, auntie Melly, granny Alison and sister Aislinn, in particular – are holding a Celebration of Life today. We cannot be there, but that does not mean we do not love him. We will all remember him with real joy. Tait was truly wonderful and continues to be an inspiration.
#runningfortait
Running for Dad 