Here’s this week’s Smartmom from the Brooklyn Paper:

Running has been Smartmom’s best friend in these months since her father died.
The feelings of deadness, lethargy, and deep sadness that come with the
loss of a parent are temporarily soothed by the endorphins produced
during strenuous exercise.

So when she needs a lift, Smartmom puts on her black nylon running
outfit, her Lulu Lemon running jacket, and her purple and white running
shoes and heads for Prospect Park.

The natural beauty of Olmsted and Vaux’s masterpiece is also a
consoling salve. The autumnal trees, a patchwork of yellow, orange, red
and brown, are uplifting, as is the cumulative energy of so many others
exercising at the same time.

A few weeks back, Smartmom listened to Bob Dylan singing “Sad Eyed
Lady of the Lowlands” on her iPod as she ran. She remembered that it
was her father who introduced her to “Blonde on Blonde” back in 1966,
when she was only 8-years-old.

The tears came as she remembered her father’s passion for music.
What a gift he left behind: the memory of him in music of all kinds.

What a curse. Every time she listens to music, she thinks of her father and gets sad.

Thump. Thump. Thump. During a recent run, Smartmom thought of her
sister spending many hours recently trying to find a home for their
father’s collection of jazz 78s, which he collected as a teenager in
1940s Los Angeles. Ever resourceful, Diaper Diva checked with the
Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University and even Phil Schaap,
the legendary WKCR jazz DJ, but no one wanted them.

Finally, a good friend came forward who collects 78s. He will house
them in his upstate home where Smartmom and Diaper Diva are welcome to
visit and listen to the music.

This kind of problem solving is how Diaper Diva is dealing with her grief.

Running around the park has always been a kind of therapy for
Smartmom; it’s where she does her best thinking. So it’s no wonder that
during these tough times, she finds that the steady thump of her
running shoes inspires her to come up with solutions to problems of all
kinds.

Will Teen Spirit have all his SUNY and CUNY applications done by Nov. 29? She makes a mental note to ask him how that’s going.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

What about the Oh So Feisty One? Her room is so small and she’s been
pining for a loft bed for so long. Maybe it’s time to go to Ikea and get that damn Tromso loft bed even if it does come in 1,000 pieces and Hepcat will probably come undone putting it together.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

What about Hepcat? He’s been experiencing all kinds of joint and
muscle pain. He did see an internist, but he’s still not feeling
better. He needs to start exercising. He’s put his body on the
back-burner for too long.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Smartmom breathes in and out, taking in the majesty of her park, the
memory of her father, the faces of her family, and her heart’s elevated
rhythms.

When she runs, Smartmom feels enormous gratitude to her body and its
ability to transport her at running speed from Third Street, past the
lake, Wollman Rink, the Audubon Center, the Zoo, Long Meadow, Grand Army Plaza and finally back to Third Street.

On Thanksgiving morning, Smartmom was set to run the Turkey Trot in Prospect Park, a joyful gathering and a highly energetic and exuberant way to begin Thanksgiving Day.

It also means guilt-free eating later in the day as in, “Hey, body, I just ran five miles I can eat what I want. Got it?”

This Thanksgiving, as she runs, Smartmom will give thanks to her
wonderful and supportive community; Dr. Gruenstein, her father’s
oncologist; and, yes, she will give thanks to her favorite park, a
place to be soothed, a place to remember, a place to run.