Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Lisa

#Run4Refugees: My journey is finished; for millions of people, it continues

Hi, I’m Lisa, and I take terrible selfies when I’m trying to walk and run.

This morning I completed a virtual 5K called “Running From 2020” because let’s be honest, that’s all I’ve wanted to do this year is escape. But those final three miles were also the last of my 20-mile quest for CWS’ Run4Refugees campaign. Running from and running for. My life encompasses a bit of both.

So, here were are at the end of this fundraising journey. For me, it’s over. I completed 20 miles on foot this week, running 15 of them, walking 5. That’s an incredible feat for my feet. (The jokes are free, folks!) Even though I’m finished, the journey for millions of people around the world continues or is just beginning. The journey of a refugee is long and winding, often with years of waiting. So just because I’m done with these miles, please don’t think that the refugee crisis is over.

Consider donating today.

And now, my final three reasons for accepting this challenge:

18. Running (or traveling) long distances requires a support team. I’ve never run more than five miles, but as a family we are increasing our hiking miles. We were on the Appalachian Trail a few weeks ago, talking about how through-hikers get the supplies they need from strategic outposts along the trail. Any kind of running race has water stops and support personnel. Ultramarathoners take people with them for medical and other needs. For refugees, CWS and organizations like them are the support team. Imagine traveling for hundreds of miles without knowing when the next food or water stop might be. (If I don’t know there’s going to be a bathroom stop on a trip of more than 2 hours, I start to get nervous!) Imagine not knowing how much of your own supplies to pack and what might be available when you get there. Refugees need a support team for their journey, and I’m honored to be part of it in any small way.

19. Just because something is hard or difficult doesn’t mean it’s bad or you’ve done something wrong. Also, pain is part of the process. My legs were hurting today as I ran. Which they should have been considering not only did I run and walk 20 miles this week, I also worked for five days. I’ve thought in the past that if some part of my life is difficult, it must mean I’ve done something wrong. If the income isn’t enough to pay the bills, if it feels like we’re being pulled in too many directions, if life hurts … but sometimes that’s just the way it goes. People who leave their homes to become refugees are facing a difficult road. But that doesn’t mean they chose the wrong path. Anything I can do to make it easier, I want to do.

20. Humanity is worth fighting for. Even the ugly parts. The trash fire that is this year has made me wonder if letting humans run wild with the earth and each other was a colossal mistake. One time, on a hike, when I saw the number of spotted lanternflies (an invasive species that is threatening trees in our area of Pennsylvania) in small area, I quipped, “Maybe we should just let them have the planet.” Some days I want to give up the fight because it’s hard. But then I see beautiful things worth fighting for, and I remember that even the ugliest most detestable things in our world can be redeemed. Humanity is worth it. I’ll keep telling myself this even when evidence proves otherwise. Joining CWS in this fight is one way to keep the faith that all is not lost and the world can be made right.

Thank you for reading and following along with me on this journey! I hope you’ve learned something new about refugees or were reminded why fighting for what we believe in is worth it. And, please, consider making a small donation to CWS in support of their global work.

Take care!

#Run4Refugees Day 6: Closing in on the end

Officially, I have logged 16.9 miles on my quest toward 20 miles on foot this week, and that’s exactly where I want to be because I’m running another virtual 5k tomorrow. Because I’m SO close to 17 miles, I’m going to give you three more reasons today and the final three reasons tomorrow. It’s not too late to donate. I’ve surpassed the $500 mark in donations, which leaves me in awe. Thank you for the support! Donations are matched today and tomorrow, if you’re still interested. And now, on to the reasons!

15. Refugees often travel hundreds of miles on foot or crammed into vehicles or on overloaded boats to reach a place of relative safety. I have a lot of comforts in my life. I start getting uncomfortable if too many people close in on my personal bubble. I don’t know how it would feel to choose this kind of discomfort out of desperation. Logging 20 miles on foot is not comfortable. My legs remind me daily of what I’ve done. Mine is a chosen challenge, not made out of desperation, but it’s reminding me of those whose choices are often between staying in a place that’s unsafe but is home or leaving everything behind and fleeing to a place of relative safety that isn’t anything like home. I can choose some temporary discomfort.

16. I want you to know how much a community is enriched by its refugee neighbors. Lancaster, PA, where I live, has an abundant refugee community, most obviously reflected in the variety of global flavors offered in local restaurants. Refugees live and work in our community. One has written a book about his journey to The United States with a well-known graphic novelist. My interactions with refugees have shown me that I have a lot to learn about hospitality and friendship and community from refugees.

17. Asylum-seekers, like those who arrive at the southern border of the United States, share many of the same plights as refugees. And when I heard reports last month that women were being forced to have hysterectomies, I was overcome with despair. It is far too easy for us to look away or forget that people–children and women mostly–are being detained in conditions we wouldn’t accept for our own children. It’s easy to dismiss it as fake news, but when organizations I trust report on those conditions, from the frontlines, I choose to believe them. I can feel despair, but I can’t let that be the stopping point. Awareness. Support. Advocacy. Running these miles combines all three.