Olympic Dreams

Vancouver has just concluded hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Along the way we've watched the city, and the country come alive. We've celebrated together, we've cried together, and we've done a lot of holding our breath in anticipation. The hopes and dreams of the athletes were worn proudly on OUR sleeves, as we joined them in the worlds largest celebration of sport.

And at home, the children of our nation began to dream. Kids from all walks of life instantly became speed skaters, and skiers. Ball hockey games awarded the Gold Medal - Lord Stanley's Cup lying dusty on a back shelf in the garage. Skateboards came out, carving graceful arcs down the steepest driveway in the neighbourhood, in search of the next snowboard parallel slalom medal. People began to dream, and to dream big. The message was there - put your whole heart, your whole mind, and your whole body into a dream, and watch the world cheer you on. Nothing is impossible to the human spirit. Nothing.

At our house, the dream was stirring too. Our family watched the games daily. We even made it out to a couple of events. Our kids saw the flame run past our house - igniting the passion and the dream.

And so it was with no large surprise that we began to hear about Olympic sized dreams. One day, Doug was spotted standing at the top of the stairway. He had hot wheels race tracks strapped to his feet, and a Viking helmet perched high upon his head - brandishing a sword as a pole. He proudly announced to the world that he was going to be an Olympic Alpine Skier. My heart began to swell with parental pride at his dream, only to be burst an instant later with the realization that this dream will never be. No matter how much heart, or mind he puts into it, his body just won't be there. I know that for most of us, the actual chance of having an Olympian as a child is so tiny that it doesn't really matter anyways - but the sharp pain of KNOWING that it won't happen is still there.

Olympic sized dreams - human sized reality.