A few things that really impacted me about the day:
~ It was such a privilege to be associated with such a wonderful group of people. When one of my daughters was discouraged by her inability to win ribbons like her team mates they didn’t pull out iPods and ignore her, they didn’t sluff her off and play without her, they didn’t smile weakly and move on. These young girls, who had been total strangers at the beginning of the day, crowded around and one after another chirped up sweet words of affirmation and encouragement.
Parents, if you question the impact that you have on your children, please let me affirm that the way that you speak to your children is truly reflected in the way that they speak to others. I wish I had known the parents of these young girls today in order to be able to congratulate them on their children’s behaviour and maturity. They were really an encouragement to the both of us.
~ One of the really neat secondary benefits of going to events like this is that we get a chance to feel “normal” – after all we are surrounded by hundreds of other people who are living a homeschooling life like us and we don’t feel like the odd man out, for once.
~ What a neat boost to be able to see our kid’s skills shine through. Though I knew that my girls have an incredible set of gifts and that they are valuable beyond measure, I had never noticed before that they had some of these hidden talents.
~ On the other hand it was very humbling to see one of my very confident young women have her inabilities also highlighted in this environment. As I saw my dear daughter stumbling through the last two hundred metres of a very difficult 800m race I was reminded of a poem I heard read in a recent sermon which really spoke to the amazing success that I recognize in her choice to finish the race despite the fact that everyone had forgotten that she was even still out there. As the runners lined up for the next race and all eyes were again on the start line I saw her rally her steam and make a showing at the forgotten finish line.
She arrived later than all the other participants but she won a most amazing prize that many winners didn’t have the chance to grasp in their hands. She won perseverance, stick-to-it-iveness. Though my daughter will likely never be a famous track star, she has brought home from this event a more valuable prize: skill, virtue, a tool that she can reuse in many situations in home and at a job, with friends and with family. My heart is full of joy with the knowledge that she overcame so much and that she learned such a valuable lesson today as she held her side through the frustration and disappointment and made her way over the line.
This is the great difference between failing and failure. My beautiful girl may have failed to earn a top finishing position in the race, infact she failed to win any placement ribbons at all but she did not come anywhere near failure. Despite the fact that her sisters came home with ribbons and metals she was the most successful of my tracksters as she reached beyond her abilities. She didn't give up. She did something that she didn’t think that she could, she finished when she didn’t want to do it, she ran to success even when she wanted to quit.
I am so thankful for this chance for my family to participate in this memorable life and learning experience. We are all, already, looking forward to track and field day next year!
Blessings,
Cori
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| A photo finish |
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