There’s no denying the holiday season is in full swing. All the gathering and togetherness. All the parties and decorations. All the sugary treats and pretty packages. It’s festive. It’s fancy. It’s fun.

At least for most people…

Personally, it’s been a long, hard year marked with loss and transitioning and I don’t feel much like celebrating. But I also don’t want to wish this season away or rush through it just to be done with it. I really do want to enjoy this time with my kids, to help make it special for them and create some new memories. And although it’s a hard spot to be in—trying to reconcile the weight of my grief with the will to enjoy what’s in front of me—running is one thing that’s been helping me through this. And not just for the obvious reasons like how much healthier it is than overindulging in food or alcohol as a way to relieve stress. Or how it helps me fill some of the free time being newly divorced now presents me with. Not that those aren’t both great reasons to get out and be active, but the key for me is in the way running helps bring me back to the basics.

My thoughts and my feelings too often consume me. Leading me in directions that aren’t helpful or productive. But not when I run; at least not when I push myself hard enough physically that my focus shifts solely to the ‘boom-boom’ of my heartbeat, or the very real need to inhale and exhale as I attempt to catch my breath. With those things demanding my attention, the beauty and the mystery of how hard my body’s working suddenly outweighs every other thought—every insecurity, every unresolved issue, every pang of sadness…if only for a moment. And in that moment, I am reminded of the simple fact than I am very much alive. And my life, just like your life, no matter how challenging it can sometimes be, is a gift. Each and every breath we get to take of it. Yes, it’s hard sometimes. And no, it doesn’t always make sense. And now and then it falls completely apart. But it’s ours. And regardless of what season we may find ourselves in, it’s never too late to do what we can to make the best of it.