On Dreams

I'm not really a sports fan.  In high school and college I was crazy about ice hockey and watched every game.  My husband is a fan of baseball and I'll watch that with him sometimes.  But mostly, I can take it or leave it.

But then, every couple of years, the Olympics come along, and I am hooked.  It's not about the sports, actually.  I am, after all, possibly the least competitive person in the world. 

But here's the thing:  each person there has trained and dreamed and prepared and worked their butts off for that moment.  They have woken up while it's still dark, they have practiced until they hurt, they have given up sleep and plans and friends, and they have done it all for this very opportunity. This is it....their chance.  Their moment.  And we get to watch it all.

My family makes fun of me often.  While I don't watch sports, I do like to watch the Stanley Cup finals, the World Series, the Super Bowl.  These moments are the pinnacle.  They're the big moment.  The dream.  And when it's over, I cheer for the winner but I cry tears for the loser, as well.  It was their dream, too.  They worked hard, they dreamed, they lost sleep and blood.  And while they got to play and show their talent and just have the amazing experience of being there, it didn't end how they hoped.  It breaks my heart.

So tonight is the Opening Ceremony.  And you can bet I will be watching.  For the next couple of weeks, I will ignore the dishes and the laundry and maybe even my books (gasp!!)as I am glued to the television watching some amazing athletes experiencing their Moments.   I will cheer for many of them, and I will cry for some of them.  But most of all, I will allow myself to be incredibly inspired....not because I want to be a gymnast or a diver or a triathlete, but because I have dreams of my own.   And while my Big Moment will not be clutching a gold medal and crying along to the National Anthem, they are still big dreams that often feel impossible to reach.  And in that moment, while I watch others have their gold medal/National Anthem moments, I will believe for a heartbeat that maybe, someday, if I stretch and work and lean on the One who makes all things possible, my dreams will come true, too.