In "Raymond's Run," before the race, Squeaky says, "I run. That is what I am all about," but after the race, what is Squeaky "all about?"

At the beginning of the story, Squeaky runs for herself.
 It brings her pleasure and a sense of pride. You can hear this when she describes the
joy of running as she narrates the story.

However, as the
story continues, Squeaky spends more and more time with her brother Raymond who has
special needs.  Running is not the same for her because she must watch out for her
brother, and this distresses her; it holds her
back.

However, by the end of the story, Squeaky comes out
of herself and her running surrounds the experiences of her brother Raymond and what
running means to him.

This is a story that speaks to
growing up, to becoming more responsible, doing that which we may not want to do, giving
of ourselves for the good of others, and being gracious about it. It becomes a matter of
caring for someone else rather than looking for pleasure and success for what we can
accomplish on our own.  It is about taking pleasure in helping someone else accomplish
something important, and believing that
that is the greatest
reward.