I love it!
I love watching the meets outside in the warm weather, and I love the fond memories it brings back.
We have been busy watching two of our children compete. Krissia has still managed to remain injury-free and is a strong competitor in both the 400 and 800 meter runs:
Jefferson has also been participating in some local meets held for 6-9th graders. At his first meet, he competed in three events. Here he is in the 100m dash:
Trying long jump for the first time:
Nearing the finish in the 300m hurdles:
Hurdles can be tricky. Jefferson had tried them once successfully in practice and decided to run them at this meet. Well, his heel clipped a hurdle about halfway through the race, and down he went.
Hard.
I was torn between running out on the track to see if he was okay, or waiting to see what would happen. I chose to wait, and after a minute or so, Jefferson struggled to his feet. Although shaken, it was clear he wasn't seriously hurt. To my surprise, he began running again. There were four more hurdles between him and the end of the race, but he cleared them all....and finished the race. Many people in the stands were cheering for him as he crossed the line; I was so proud of him! I was so proud that he was able to pick himself up and finish what he had set out to do, even though he was hurt and embarrassed. I hope that this determined attitude will carry on to other areas of Jefferson's life; as he experiences disappointments and other "hurdles", I hope he will remember that he can always pick himself up, dust himself off, and continue to carry on.
Because that's the only real way to win the race.
3 comments:
That is so awesome! And somehow I'm not surprised he finished.
So cool. That reminds of this poem...I am sure you know it, but if not here it is.
The Race
"Quit, give up, you're beaten"
They shout at you and plead
"There's just too much against you
This time you can't succeed".
And as I start to hang my head
In front of failures face
My downward fall is broken by
The memory of a race
And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene
Or just the thought of that short race
Rejuvenates my being
Childrens race, young boys
Young men, how I remember well
Excitement sure, but also fear
It wasn't hard to tell
They all lined up so full of hope
Each thought to win that race
Or tie for first, or if not that
At least take second place
The fathers watched from off the side
Each cheering for his son
And each boy hoped to show his dad
That he could be the one
The whistle blew and off they went
Young hearts and hopes afire
To win and be the hero there
Was each young boys desire
And one boy in particular
Whose dad was in the crowd
Was running near the lead and thought
"My dad will be so proud"
But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip
The little boy who thought to win
Lost his step and slipped
Trying hard to catch himself
With hands flew out to brace
And amid the laughter of the crowd
He fell flat on his face
But as he fell his dad stood up
And showed his anxious face
Which to the boy so clearly said
"Get up and win the race"
He quickly rose, no damage done
Behind a bit that's all
And ran with all his night and mind
To make up for the fall
So anxious to restore himself
To catch up and to win
His mind went faster than his legs
He slipped and fell again
He wised then that he had quit before
With only one disgrace
"I'm hopeless as a runner now
I shouldn't try to race"
But in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his fathers face
That steady look which said again
"Get up and win the race"
So up he jumped to try again
Ten yards behind the last
If I'm going to gain those yards he though
I've got to move real fast
Exerting everything he had
He regained eight or ten
But trying hard to catch the lead
He slipped and fell again
Defeat, he lay there silently
A tear dropped from his eye
There's no sense running anymore
Three strikes, I'm out, why try?
The will to rise had disappeared
All hope had fled away
So far behind so error prone
A loser all the way
"I've lost, so what", he thought
I'll live with my disgrace
But then he thought about his dad
Whom soon he'd have to face
"Get up" the echo sounded low
"Get up" and take your place
You were not meant for failure here
"Get up", and win the race
With borrowed will "Get up" it said
"You haven't lost at all"
For winning is no more than this
To rise each time you fall
So up he rose to run once more
And with a new commit
He resolved, that win or lose
At least he shouldn't quit
So far behind the others now
The most he'd ever been
Still he'd give it all he had
And run as though to win
Three times he'd fallen, stumbling
Three times he'd rose again
Too far behind to hope to win
He still ran to the end
They cheered the winning runner
As he crossed the line first place
Head high and proud and happy
No falling, no disgrace
But when the fallen youngster
Crossed the line, last place
The crowd gave him the greater cheer
For finishing the race
And even though he came in last
With head bent low, unproud
You would have thought he'd won the race
To listen to the crowd
And to his dad he sadly said
"I didn't do too well"
"To me you won", his father said
"You rose each time you fell"
by D. H. Groberg
Keep up the great work guys!
Jefferson conquering the hurdles sounds like a good idea for a Garth Brooks video. (j/k for anyone who has seen that video)
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