On a recent rainy, puddle-filled run I stretched out and leaped, not to avoid a huge puddle, but to land my foot in the middle of it. I quickly felt a wave of cool water enter my shoes as water also splashed up my leg. The squish I felt with each step as I ran through the puddle felt great. The run was much more enjoyable from the experience of puddle jumping.
This experience made me wonder about those who intentionally splash through, making a mess at times, and those who avoid puddles in life. To avoid the puddles means living a safer life. The benefits, however, of jumping into life and experiencing it, even with the chance of a few bumps and bruises, far outweighs the risk.
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Fully experiencing life means taking risks.
Jump in feet first this weekend.
Happy Friday!
good good good advice, I am a “go around the puddle” type of girl, but maybe this weekend, just this once, I’ll JUMP 😉
Good for you girlfriend.
Oh please jump in a puddle this weekend and then report back to me Kir!
What a lovely post, and a great analogy. I tend to run around the puddles normally just because I cherish my kick-ass shoe collection and would hate to have them waterlogged but I see your point and love you for it!
If we ever meet, I will let you borrow my shoes and jump in as many puddles as you would like!
I love jumping and sloshing in the puddles. And I love letting myself get rained on whenever possible, rather than using an umbrella. Experiencing the experience is definitely one of the joys of life.
I agree, which is why I love to run in the rain. No umbrella needed, lots of puddles to splash through, and it keeps me cooled down on the run.
Great message for a Friday!
Thank you Kristy!
I always jump into puddles, unless they were yellow ones left by the Crack Puppy.
Yes, good idea to not jump in yellow puddles!
It’s simple things like this which I think we, as a society, forget about sometimes. And it’s things like this that can ease one’s mind and also bring one back to a time when life wasn’t so crazy. Excellent post!
I don’t know if I’ll be jumping in a puddle anytime soon, but I’ll at least walk on the beach barefoot this weekend and realize that it’s a simple thing in life that many take for granted!
Walking on the beach barefoot is just as good as jumping in a puddle. Enjoy the experience!