I run in beat to the music. Turning it loud enough to drown out my measured breathing. Frank is slightly ahead of me, setting our pace and pointing which ways to turn. We run and dodge past the schoolchildren as they stand in groups waiting for the bell to ring. There are dozens of them in their white shirts and blue pants and skirts.

We turn towards the lake. The gnats start appearing and I know that swallowing one is inevitable. The sun isn’t hot yet, and the breeze is steady enough to keep us cool. We skip over the few steps that lead to the promenade. The lake is a glittering reflection of the sun as it rises. We run past a couple doing lunges and a woman on the tennis court doing push-ups.

We start the last sprint home, pumping our arms like Rocky and giving Ezequiel a high five as he runs past us. We’re ok making fools of ourselves here. Our moods are lifted in time with our hearts. We finally reach our street, as I breathlessly sing the lyrics to All These Things That I’ve Done. I yell “Buenas” to Miguel as he sits in front of his house. Gabriel pedals past us on his bike with his laundry in a bag.

We finally break the run, walking the last few blocks to our house. We stretch in our courtyard, shaded by our neighbor’s wall, holding on to the ficus tree. I spend a few moments on our bench, stretching my hips while praying. Asking for God’s grace to meet this day head on, joyful and prepared. He reminds me to meet him today, to seek him out. I feel complete, ready to face the day.