Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo by Jennifer Luitwieler
Review by Renny Fong
About the Author:
Jennifer Luitwieler wrangles The Dog, a cat and 3 perfect angels who adore her and find her to be the best homeschool teacher ever in the universe. When she is not filling their sponge-like brains with limitless knowledge, she wrangles ideas into sentences with an imaginary golden lasso. (Of course it's imaginary. No one has a real golden lasso.) She writes on crafts and sports in monthly columns. Her first book, "Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of the Poo," was released in 2011. You can find her at http://jenniferluitwieler.com, on Twitter @jenluit and Facebook.com/jenluitwieler
About the Book:
Author Jennifer Luitwieler shares her insightful and often hilarious journey of accidentally running to stop the dog from pooing under her sewing table. What starts as a way to deal with the dog, ends up providing the space to confront some deep issues: from endlessly comparing herself to others, to competing with herself to be stronger, faster, and to pursue endlessly her own reasons and goals.
Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo is about finding the unapologetic courage to confront who we are as humans. As women. As men. As parents. As spouses. As divorcees. As managers and employees. As people. And who we are, as a whole, are people created by a loving God to do good things. We are strong, capable, confident, intelligent, creative and amazing. Discovering the courage is the first step towards realizing the life we’re all seeking.
My take on the book:
Scooch over, Tiger Mom. Make room for Samurai Mom, Jennifer Luitwieler. Her book, Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo, brings to light many of the issues and challenges life has thrown at her (that many Prime Parents like me can relate to), and how she has battled back. I’m not a runner and not very fond of dogs (I definitely loathe dog poo), yet I found this book to be an enticing read, thanks to Luitwieler’s whimsical, honest, and charming writing, right down to her must-read endnotes. She unabashedly reveals her battle scars and courageously confronts all the “poo” in her life.
As a reader, you feel as though Luitwieler has invited you to run with her. One appreciates her candor and trust, as she opens up and shares about her personal story and life. Her powerful narrative and vivid childhood memories evoke emotions many can identify with. As you go running and training with her, you feel stronger and liberated knowing that it’s okay that you don’t have control over everything; it’s okay that life is far from perfect, and it’s definitely okay to laugh at yourself. Most important, you realize you aren’t alone in your journey. Community. Acceptance. Grace. Embrace it.
So, if you’re looking for a quick, yet powerful read, I highly recommend Jennifer Luitwieler’s, Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo. Run with it, and enjoy!
Renny Fong has been an educator for over 15 years, teaching pre-kindergarten through fifth grade; he currently teaches technology. His wife and his five-year-old son are his biggest joy and inspiration. He started his blog, TimeOutDad, in September 2009 and has been a contributor to Book Dads since 2010 KidZui’s blog since May 2011, and recently became a contributor to Prime Parents Club
