Stanimal

When I was in my twenties I worked for a small Mom & Pop grocery.  The owners were elderly and I remember a conversation with Raymond when he was in his late 60's.  He was lamenting the fact that he was at the age that all of his friends were dying.  I thought that was just heartbreaking.  And yet, here I am on the backside of my mid-40's and I'm beginning to feel that same sense of loss.

We can all name people who have helped form our lives, have touched us in a way that changes the type of person we choose to be.  For me, and many of the people whose lives she touched, one of those people was Stana Landon.  She passed away on Thanksgiving this year after a battle with cancer and even though we haven't been in regular contact for nearly 5 years I'm experiencing a depth of sorrow I never could have foreseen.

I do remember the last conversation I had with her.  For some reason the voice command on my phone would get confused when I would try to call my brother Marvin.  Clearly "Marvin Stewart" and "Stana Landon" sound a great deal alike.  When the phone would misdial I would just let it ring through and Stana and I would get a laugh out of the silly mistake and take a quick moment to say hello and I love you.  The best part of those calls, the best part of any time spent with Stana, was her laugh.

This may seem a bit somber for a blog about houses, running, recipes and baseball.  But there is a definite tie-in.  Stana is a very large part of why I run.  Years ago we played on a softball team together.  While we were running to the outfield we'd complain about how sore we were from a recent run.  Sharing running joys and tribulations grew to sharing every other aspect of life.  Neither of us was particularly fast or thin but sharing that bond with someone as amazing as Stana made me want to stick with it.

When I ran the Mary Woodbury Memorial 5k Turkey Trot this year I didn't yet know that Stana had passed.  But every run since has been with her on my mind.  And every Turkey Trot I do in the future will be for my friend.  What better way to stay connected to someone who gave me her passion for the sport?

www.jerianne.rnohomes.com