Moments

I witnessed a pretty cool moment today.  A team of sixth grade girls got to play a scrimmage during half time of the Women's game at UW-Whitewater today.  In true collegiate fashion, these little girls had their names announced as they ran out onto the court, and got to play on the, much bigger than they were used to, collegiate court.  I just smiled as I watched them in complete happiness.  They were living a dream, creating a moment, that they will probably never forget.

It got me thinking about what it was like when I was in 6th grade.  I remember going to a college gymnastics meet at Northern Illinois University and simply marveling at the experienced college gymnasts, their excitement, their team unity, and their confidence.  Had I been given the opportunity to go out and do my beam routine in front of that crowd in a collegiate atmosphere, I might not have been able to breathe!

One of our incredibly silly moments! At UAA in Alaska.

Sometimes I can't believe the opportunities I've been blessed with.  When I think about the wonderful experiences I've had, the friends God has given me, I am so unbelievably grateful.  I'm reminded on a daily basis of the silly, heartfelt times I spent with my roommates in our apartment building forts or cooking dinner together.  I think about the days we spent in the gym together laughing, crying, striving for perfection, and picking each other up when we fell down...

I got picked up a lot.

Those moments are a direct result of moments like the one I witnessed tonight.  Maybe one of those little girls will find themselves on a college team later in life... maybe they'll be a coach somewhere, and thank God for that one amazing opportunity that planted a seed in her brain about college basketball.

Maybe I'm reaching, who knows... I have a sort of, eternal optimist quality.  One that tells me, "Everything really does work out in the end, Al.  Stop worrying."  (No joke... I hear that in my brain almost every single day). Maybe I'm being all sentimental because I'm exhausted.  Or maybe it's because I received a video yesterday of my Angel doing gymnastics... and all I wish I could do was go back in time to that moment.

A picture taken earlier that week, at camp

Yep.  That's me giving her that high five.  And although I don't specifically remember that high five (as I know there were about a million that week) I do remember so much about that child and her cartwheel!  She worked every single day... the entire beam rotation on that silly cartwheel.  I thought I was going to have to physically remove her from the beam each day!  She would do cartwheel after cartwheel until I had to say, "Avery, let's give Suzie a turn now."

I've watched that video about a hundred times in the last two days.  And each time, I can't help but smile remembering how truly happy she was in that moment.  Her beautiful smile after sticking it, and that high five... oh, how I would hold that hand a little longer if I could.  That is a truly special moment, and I am so grateful that her mom took the time to send it to me.

That's another moment I wouldn't have if it weren't for the moments that helped me fall in love with gymnastics.  And I can't imagine not having my moments with Avery.  My all time, favorite quote fits this sentiment so perfectly... I probably don't need to say anything else :)

"Life isn't about the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Love True,
Allison