Race Reflections: Daniel Barden

It didn't look good (again) for my race for Daniel this past weekend.  Back in early February, I had to pass over my original race for him because I had gotten sick.  Then, this past Friday, snow storm Nemo/Charlotte decided to drop a flurry or two on our heads.  When I woke up to three feet of snow on my stoop Saturday morning, I thought for sure that Daniel's race would have to rescheduled yet again.  But luckily, Daniel pulled a few strings for me and the race went on, as planned, and so he and I were able to stretch our legs together. 

It was, surprisingly, a very beautiful day.  The sun was shining and it hit a high of 26 degrees.  That may seems like nothing, but when your first two races are in the teens, you'll take what you can get with a smile.  February in Connecticut is not always kind.

More people showed up than I anticipated really.  For just having a major snow storm, I figured most people would stay in their forced hibernation for the remainder of the weekend.  And maybe I could win first place by default.  But, that didn't happen :)

I've done a lot of thinking about Daniel.  His family has reached out to me via twitter and have been generous enough to add my race information onto their personal facebook page, WWDD:  What Would Daniel Do?  They seem like such amazing people.  They share personal family photos on Daniel's facebook page and the images break my heart.  They seem to have shared this amazing bond and the love seeps out from every photo.

I think that just about everyone is familiar with the school picture that the media has used to share Daniel with the world.  And I think it's that photo that tears at my heart the most.  As if we needed another reminder of how young, sweet and innocent the children that we lost were, there is Daniel.  With his baby teeth missing.  Grinning ear to ear.  And the toothless grin gets me every time.  A promise of something to come.  A new chapter in his life.  A milestone to pass.  It's simple....the act of losing teeth.  It's something that we all have done.  But we don't really remember it because it happened so long ago.  And that's what brings me back to having a heavy heart.  Daniel was such a little boy.  With so much promise and every right to experience teeth growing back in.  Every right to tell people a million more times how much he loved them and to hear how much they loved him back.  He earned that right and it makes me so mad that it was taken away so cruelly. 

Daniel.  The image of your amazing smile lives on forever in my heart.  I will not soon forget it.  I carried it with me when I ran for you on Sunday.  I carry it with me always.  It is my extreme hope that every single person that I ran in close proximity to on Sunday read your name on the back of my shirt, repeated it over in their minds, and thought of you that day.  You deserve to be remembered.  They all do.  And that is what this project is all about. 

I hope you were smiling that grin on Sunday, Daniel.  I hope I made you proud.

Love-
Lindsay

Here is Daniel Barden.  The third angel that I have now run for.

Full photo album of the race available on Facebook at the page 26 in 2013 for Sandy Hook.