i was getting out dishes for dinner last night when joe came back from taking out the trash, slamming the door to his apartment shut. he came into the kitchen, his smile wide and his eyes sparkling, put his hands on my shoulders and gave me a big kiss.

“what’s going on?” i asked.

“i ran.”

my eyes started to water. joe had run for the first time in more than two years.

joe loves running, and he used to be an avid runner, participating in every race possible. but over time his legs started to hurt when he ran. he had a pronation, and his doctor told him he couldn’t run anymore.

joe was crushed. when we first started dating, he told me what had happened, and i knew how much he missed it. it hurt me to hear him talk about races he wanted to participate in but couldn’t, and to hear him say how relaxing and calming running alone was to him. i wanted him to have it back.

and a few weeks ago he got his chance. his mom told him about a store in his hometown that specializes in shoes and foot pads. they could make the orthotic pads he needed for about $200 less than his doctor quoted. we went a few weekends ago, and they scanned his feet and made molds. on tuesday, he picked them up. it hurt at first to walk around and get used to them, but yesterday he ran.

he’s never been so happy, and neither have i.