A nice reminder

Carson had a cross country meet this week at a park that I first, and last visited about eight years ago. This is the same park where Chase had his first ever cross county meet. It's not the park that holds significance to me or even that it's where Chase's first meet was  and now Carson. It's the park where I fell in love. In love with running. I remember Chase's first meet so vividly. Only, Chase I am so sorry, I don't remember a thing about Chase running or how he did that day. (I am sure he did great, and I was very, very proud of him!) It is the boy who finished dead last, yes, last that I remember so well. When Chase started cross country I didn't know much about the sport. Ok I knew nothing about the sport. I wasn't sure what to expect. All the other runners had finished, people were starting to leave, and I heard someone say we still have one runner on the course. I remember seeing this group of kids come around the corner, and there was this last place runner in the middle of them all. His team. They were running with him and encouraging him to finish. People started to gather again. As the boy runs along people start clapping, and shouting words of encouragement. Not just his team or people from his town, but everyone. I remember the look on his face when he saw the finish line, he was almost there. His team stops running, but keeps cheering, they let him cross the finish, and then they surround him, embracing him and his accomplishment. I don't know if eight years later this boy is still running or not. I don't know if he would even remember that day. I can't even remember where he was from. I just remember his face. His PROUD face. It's not to many times someone can come in last and have people cheer. It's not to many times someone comes in last and hears words of encouragement. This meet touched me. A sport where you compete as individuals, but also as a team. A sport where people encourage not belittle. A sport where of course you want your son/daughter and their team mates to do well, but it's common to cheer for everyone. I fell in love with running that day, because it wasn't about being THE BEST, it was about doing YOUR BEST. Whatever that is. It's about building self esteem and a whole lot of character. I've learned some over the past eight years about cross country and running, although an expert I am not. I even in the past few years have taken on a race or two. I've always said for me, it's not about the time I cross the line in, but that I cross the line. Running isn't for everyone, and that's understandable. Over the years, I have also come to learn that the people you run with become your friends, there is a whole lot of commodore, an unspoken bond. I'm glad to have revisited the park where I fell in love, a nice reminder of the positive. Chase and Carson both have meets this weekend, and I am so glad I get to share in their experiences and although they are competing on two completely different levels, the playing field is the same. Run boys run, mom's so proud of you!! Thank you God for blessing me immensely.