Athletes soar in the air, float in space, perform other seemingly miraculous feats, and we gaze in wonder at their accomplishments. We cry with the winners and losers and mourn over young loss. Their greatness, their sacrifice, their moments in this time in these Olympics moves us.
The inspiration of the elite champions captures our collective heart and awakens lost dreams. We believe that we too can overcome, rise above, and conquer. With fresh eyes, we gaze in mirrors and reflect on our images and days. With bold hearts, we embrace life and take faltering steps toward almost forgotten goals.
As we move forward, only then do we see winners in ourselves and others. We feed the poor so they can rise above poverty. We help the sick so they can recapture life. We touch hands so no one is alone. We love without looking back or looking ahead. We live without regret. We lift each other to soar above obstacles and flow through time with only dreams as safety nets. We move in unison as ice dancers in beautiful harmony. We breathe the same air and nurture the same hopes for peace.
We see strength in the mother who rises at a similar hour to the athlete practicing on an isolated practice field so she can find private time before feeding and dressing her children. We see greatness in the father who works all weekend so he can leave the office early and attend his son’s baseball game. We see victory in the addict who overcame unknown pain and suffering and sits next to us at the coffee shop. We see tenacity in the older woman working still to put food on her family’s table –the family who moved in with her when they lost their jobs.
As we go through another 16 Olympic days, we will rise to our feet with wonder, cry when flags are raised and laugh when youthful and heroic exuberance excels. As we go through life, we will feel the Olympic passion burning bright and fueling everyday winners who give their best, sacrifice in secret, work hard, live freely, and love deeply. As we share our unique talents, pursue dreams and help others find theirs; we will find our greatness and capture a lifetime of gold.
While our bodies may not soar as high as ski jumpers, our spirits do. Our strength is found in the shoulders that others lean on and our achievements are measured in the pieces of our hearts which have been given away.
We are all Olympians.
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Wow! Amazing post. I feel very inspired to go out and live my life today. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love the line about "We love w/o looking back or looking ahead." That is so incredibly powerful. Immense. Something I'd want to put in my wedding vows, just as you've phrased it.
ReplyDeleteHow true this post is. Last night, I watched a show on PBS called "Faces of America." It is about family histories of famous people - although that makes it sound too celebrity for what it is. It is really about the ordinary ancestors of people who are now famous. One of the celebrities featured was Kristi Yamaguchi - former Olympic gold medalist. They were telling the story of her grandfather who came from Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Wow. The hardships he endured. And endured. And endured. What struck me was that he had the "Olympic spirit" too. As a laborer in a sugar cane field. As a man who suddenly found himself alone after his wife and children died. As someone who lived and worked in the United States for fifty years, with no hope of citizenship, prohibited from owning land because of his origin, but eventually, at age 70, living long enough to see the law changed and becoming a citizen. It seemed simply logical that his granddaughter would triumph at the Olympics, for clearly, she had his tenancity, persistence, and endurance.
Distill a champion into two words, practice and determination. Distill a champion in life...practice and determination. One more word that describes both..failure. We learn when we fail then we practice to learn what to do right the next time. We need not accomplish Olympian feats to be successful in life!!
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