Meeting Hannah

Last Friday I got to meet Hannah. We went on a run. She will be fourteen in seven days. I believe it was the very first thing out of her mouth. She was infectious, energetic and full of teenage ridiculousness. She wasn’t shy…for some reason I expected her to be. She was (very obviously) putting her best foot forward. She knew I was running the half marathon in her honor and she was honored. It was all over her face. She wanted to run the best she could.

She needed to stop just a few times (and at her pace I was fine with that after all I’m just getting going too). She got a side cramp. She told me she was ready and we were running again. She slowed down when it was icy. She sped up when we hit the sunshine. She talked about a blister. She made me laugh. She made me ache. She wants to get "New Moon" on DVD. She reminds me of my nieces.  She loves dogs and really doesn’t care much one way or another about cats. She is cautious. She just got new shoes. She hates to babysit. She loves Jessica’s dog. She smiles for the camera. She has lived in lots of different homes.  She thinks Tim is funny. She admires the other girl living with her at the group home for running the whole distance. She sees the finish. She sprints at the end and hurdles a fence. She is something to watch. She smiles. She melts into the bench to rest. She jokes. She says goodbye. She waves goodbye. She watches me as they leave.

She is Hannah and now I know her. Now it’s personal.

(Hannah is the name I call her by in this blog to protect her identity)