Running With Reindeer - How Small Gestures Open Big Hearts

The profound beauty of ordinary moments

Ho, Ho, Ho…

Lesssons in Love From Running a Solo Santa Dash

Have you ever been out and about and felt that overwhelming desire to be invisible? You avoid eye contact, sidestep interactions, and yearn for the relief of shutting your front door behind you, exhaling like a soldier safely completing a life-or-death mission.

And conversely, have you ever felt your heart so open you wanted to shout, “I LOVE you!” to every passerby? Instead, fearing people’s reactions, you settle for saying it to their dogs instead. 😁

I felt both of those things last Sunday. And all the nuanced emotions in between.

The Soma Space

I was supposed to run a 5K Santa Dash in Oswestry to support The Soma Space. This initiative holds a special place in my heart because one of my first acts of rebellion after leaving a high-control religion in 2020 was signing up for boxing classes.

I’ll never forget it. It was a bitterly cold winter, and I would cycle to meet my MMA instructor** with boxing gloves slung around my neck, secretly hoping the elders from the religion would see me. Laughable, isn’t it? I was 42, and this was rebellion—taking up a “violent” sport. And yet for me, it was a little act of liberation.

{**Ever grateful to that instructor - Clark Champion. I found out this week he died very suddenly on November 26th of this year. When ridiculous lockdowns were starting to be reintroduced, he still ensured I’d have my session, even if that meant us going to the beach in baltic conditions. So much gratitude to him.🙌🏻🙏🏻🥊🥋}

I loved those sessions for the release they brought. Sadly, I couldn’t afford to keep them up and instead, I began running. After years of living on disability benefit and grappling countless health issues, including cancer, I found myself long-distance running—a way to release the emotional pain stored in my body. I instinctively knew I needed to move - a lot - in order to release and survive the deconstructing of one life and the rebuilding of another.

That’s why the intention of Soma Space is vital. They provide trauma-informed support for mental and emotional wellbeing through movement. If my small contribution could help fund even one session for someone unable to pay, I knew it was worth it.

But last Saturday, thanks to Storm Darragh and canceled trains, I realized I couldn’t make it to Oswestry. With just one pledge of £30 (for which I was profoundly grateful), I still felt obligated to run—solo and locally.

I woke up Sunday, having been awake most of the night, and honestly, the idea of running around in a Santa suit, on my own, wasn’t exactly appealing. It’s one thing to run in fancy dress surrounded by 100’s of others doing the same but on my own? I knew it was going to require courage.

I didn’t give myself time to think. I imagined the 100’s of red robed humans going over the start line in Oswestry at 9am and planned to start at the same time.

I felt a tug-of-war inside. Part of me rejoiced at the freedom of something as simple as wearing a Santa suit guilt-free, while another part still somehow feared judgment from my former community if I was seen. Four years on and traces of that conditioned fear can stubbonly remain.

The first person I passed gave me an exaggerated wide berth😁, and I found I couldn’t make eye contact—a clear sign I was feeling vulnerable. But as I went on, dog walkers smiled, and by two-and-a-half miles in, I was enjoying myself.

Then it happened. A fellow runner offered me a high five. And just like that, my heart cracked wide open. I started to cry.

It’s funny, isn’t it? How a small gesture can feel monumental. That runner will never know what her simple act meant to me in that moment.

By the third mile, I didn’t want my run to end. And then, magic...🪄

♥️🎄🎅🏻🤸🏼‍♀️

A car pulled up beside me carrying two “reindeers.” The one in the passenger seat asked, “Are you heading to the Christmas Dash at Rimrose Valley?”

I replied: “No, but I’d love to be!”

“Get in!” was the urge I received back.

Moments later, I was running with the Rimrose Runners—a Christmas tree, reindeers, Cinderella, elves, and other Santas—raising funds for Woodlands Hospice. I even received a hug from a stranger at the finish line and an offer of mulled wine.

It was utter magic.🪄Seven miles ran in total, and oh my heart, it felt so full.

The Beauty of Humanity

You know, I can talk to you all the days about what makes for a fabulous speech or talk, how to really move an audience, but it’s really all to no avail if in everyday life we are not intentionally living from an open heart.

Iris Rowes says:

“They say nobody is coming to save you, but many people have saved me, even if they didn’t intend to. It can be as small as a smile from a stranger, a nudge from an animal, words from a writer, the lyrics to a song, an observant friend. We are all saving each other every single day in tiny, seemingly insignificant ways.”

Since Sunday I’ve, not for the first time, been reflecting deeply on that truth.

The high five. The reindeers who invited me to join their dash without hesitation. The smiles, the hugs, the mulled wine. Even runnning to Coldplay’s, One World, which features 137,204 voices from around the globe, thus giving me goosebumps, tingles and tears as I ran to it.

And how’s this for an added dose of delight? I did indeed run past someone from my former faith. And several days later received a text from her saying: “Made my day to see you the other day!!! You’re a machine! Hope you’re good xxx”

🥹Wow.

Only one world

In the end, it's just love
In the end, it's just love
Love

One World - Coldplay

The beauty of humanity. The wonder of this messy, painful, fricking beautiful, magickal existence. An existence that is filled with opportunities to connect and uplift one another.

So, I ask you: How might we light up someone’s heart today?

Whether it’s the overworked barista, a hurried stranger, or even yourself, what small gesture might ripple outward in ways you can’t imagine?

With a waft of my wand,🪄✨I love you!

Suzy

PS. If this story resonated with you, perhaps consider supporting Soma Space here. You can make a small - even just a couple of dollars/pounds - but meaningful difference, just as others unknowingly have for me.

PPS. For all of this year I’ve had the following audio post pinned on my Home Page:

Put Your Hands in The Air! How Open Hearted Is Your Day to Day Communication?

If you like today’s letter, you’ll love that particular listen! Tune into it quick bofore I take it down and you’ll need to go a rummaging knee deep in the dusty archives to find it.