Saturday Serves and the Fourteen Mile Feat

Hello, friends. I hope your Saturday has been as full of light as mine has. There is something about the way the September sun hits the little blue house on Sycamore Street that just makes me want to pause and breathe it all in. Mark left early as usual, though since it is Saturday, he was headed to a side project rather than his usual site, and Biscuit was right there at the door, tail thumping rhythmically against the floorboards as he watched the truck pull away. It is those quiet moments, before the kids are even stirring in their dinosaur or horse-themed pajamas, that I feel most like myself.

This morning was my standing date with Megan for pickleball. We have been playing at the community courts for months now, and I have to tell you, ladies, there is nothing like a little friendly competition to make you feel alive. Megan was in high spirits, probably because the Sweet Magnolia had a record-breaking morning with her new cinnamon rolls. Between serves, we talked about everything from the price of wax for my 'Lucy's Little Light' candles to the way our bodies are changing as we get stronger. She told me I looked 'radiant,' and for the first time in a long time, I actually believed it.

After pickleball, I felt this strange, buzzing energy in my legs. I think my body is finally adapting to the demands I have been putting on it. With the Harvest 5K just around the corner in October, I have been pushing my limits every single day this week. I dropped Emma off at her riding lesson—she was so excited to show me her new drawing of a mare on the back of her subtraction worksheet—and I decided to hit the Cedar Falls trails one more time before the weekend madness truly set in.

Friends, I don't know where the strength came from, but today I hit fourteen miles. Fourteen! If you had told me a month ago that I would be doubling and tripling my mileage in a single week, I would have laughed while eating a cookie in my kitchen. But there I was, lungs burning in the best way, feet hitting the pavement with a rhythm that felt like music. Yesterday was thirteen, and today, that extra mile felt like a victory lap for my own self-worth. I am not just a bookkeeper at Miller’s or a mom who finds stray velociraptors under the sofa; I am an athlete.

When I got home, Joanne was out in her yard, still in that iconic pink bathrobe, meticulously deadheading her petunias. She waved a gloved hand at me and shouted, 'You’re going to run right out of this town if you keep that up, Lucy!' It made me laugh, but it also made me think about how much space I am allowed to take up in this world. For so long, I felt like I had to shrink myself to fit into the margins of everyone else’s lives. Now, I feel like I am expanding.

Financially, things are looking up too. I spent an hour this afternoon in my robin-egg-blue journal, the one Megan gave me, tallying up the Etsy orders from the past three days. Between the 'Autumn Hearth' scent I perfected yesterday and the steady flow of orders for my signature soy blends, the candle business is finally starting to contribute a real 'plus' to our family savings. It’s not just about the money, though that helps; it’s about the proof that something I created with my own two hands has value to people I’ve never even met.

Mark just got home a few minutes ago, right on time at 5:20pm. He smelled like sawdust and fresh air, and when he saw me standing in the kitchen, he didn't just give me the usual peck on the cheek. He stopped, looked at me—really looked at me—and said, 'You look different lately, Luce. You look happy.' It sent a flush through me that had nothing to do with my fourteen-mile run. Feeling desirable to the man I’ve shared nine years of marriage with is a gift I don't take for granted.

Now, the house is loud again. Noah is chasing Biscuit around the living room, Emma is trying to convince me that horses deserve to have their own bedrooms, and the smell of the pot roast is starting to fill the air. It’s a beautiful, chaotic life. I’ve realized that staying in shape isn't just about the 5K or the numbers on a scale; it’s about having the stamina to enjoy these moments instead of just surviving them.

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means a long call with Mom. Diane always asks if I’m 'doing too much,' but for the first time, I think I can honestly tell her that I’m doing exactly enough. I am finding the balance between the wicks and the work, the pavement and the play. I am learning that I am worth the effort I put into myself.

I’m going to go help Mark with the kids now before we sit down for dinner. I want to savor every bit of this Saturday evening before the sun goes down completely. Tomorrow is a new day, but today? Today was a fourteen-mile miracle. I hope you found your own miracle today, even if it was just a quiet cup of coffee or a kind word from a neighbor.

I love you. — Lucy