the Olympics

 I have been watching the winter Olympics every night since they started over a week ago.  Like everyone else watching, I marvel at the amazing performances whether it's on skates, snow boards, skis, luges or skeletons.  I groan when someone falls and cheer when they pull off an excellent performance, even if the judges don't think it's perfect. 

As a mother myself, I do find myself wondering what their parents feel as their children compete.  All of my children marched in high school bands and I have felt a little bit of what they might be experiencing.  I've watched our bands compete and come in third or fourth when I thought their performance was perfect.  

But there is one big difference.  I could relax while watching my offspring compete, knowing that they will not be flying down a mountainside, up an incline, doing triple and quadruple flips then landing gracefully on their feet (usually).  Or, better yet, twirling up into the air on skates, doing four or five spins. then landing perfectly.  It's all so exciting to watch and I assume that the athletes' parents have been supporting them through years and years of practice and competitions.  

So here's to our wonderful Olympic contenders and here's to all those who have supported their dreams all along the way.