I could FEEL the fun!

My twin girls hit a a major milestone this week, and I don't just mean starting the first grade. They loped the barrel pattern! For those of my non-horsey friends, this means that they went faster than a trot (jog) but not quite a full gallop (run.) Their dad and I sometimes lose sight of how little they really are, and I try to remind myself that when I was their age, I had thrown a leg over exactly one horse in my life. In my bathing suit, with two other people. My cousin had a horse, and the week I spent in the "country" every summer was the thing I looked forward to like nothing else. My kids live the life I always wanted, and most of the time I'm pretty sure they have no idea how lucky they are.
After my daughter finished her first "run," her dad congratulated her and then said, "Was that fun?" "Oh, yes! Daddy, I could feel the fun!" I hope that she always feels that way about something in her life. Hearing her say that also made me think of something else.
I have mentioned my love for the Olympic Games. I will watch an American participate in underwater basket weaving if they decide to make that an Olympic sport. The athletes inspire me like no one else. But I wonder: how long has it been since they could "feel the fun?" I would love to know how many of them are there competing because they fell in love with a sport as a very young child and still love that sport as an "adult." I put the world adult in quotes because let's face it, the gymnasts and some swimmers are definitely NOT adults. The amount of pressure these kids are under is absolutely unbelievable.
In a pre-Olympics interview, Gabby Douglas' sister shared a story about the time Gabby decided to quit gymnastics. Her sister basically jerked a knot in her and reminded her of the sacrifices her entire family had made in order for her to pursue "her" dream of winning a gold medal. Her mother shared her shock and disappointment at hearing the news that her daughter wanted to quit after all she (the mother) had been through. How many athletes are in a similar situation, with not only their own expectations to live up to, but the expectations of  their family, their community, and their entire country as well?
Gabby came under fire for her inability to deliver individual event medals after winning the team and all-around gold medals. As if that weren't enough, the media also decided to criticize everything from her hair to her mother's bankruptcy. I don't think the average person can begin to imagine working toward something for your entire (albeit short) life, putting your heart and soul into a goal, and actually achieving that goal. Most of us will never experience that kind of high, and we definitely can't understand the crash that is sure to follow.
Gabby got her gold medal. She had the adoration of the world for a brief, shining moment. She was one of the lucky ones. Far outnumbering the Gabbys were the athletes who worked just as hard, made just as many sacrifices, and were unable to deliver the performance of a lifetime when it mattered most. There were underdogs who came up just short, runners who hurt themselves leaving the blocks, and even worse, favorites who didn't deliver. I daresay that more people remember the American gymnast who was favored to win the vaulting competition because she landed her final vault on her rear end than remember that she delivered a spectacular vault to help her team win a gold medal.
Can you imagine working so hard for something and blowing your one and only opportunity at 16? Or even worse, being remembered for something that went horribly wrong at the Olympics for the rest of your life? What must it be like to have all that hope and expectation turn into a lifetime of disappointment? I can't begin to imagine.
All of us have those monumental moments in our lives, even if they aren't necessarily athletic events. Either we deliver the goods or we land on our butts. What separates us from one another is what we do next. We can get up, dust ourselves off, and move on to the next phase of our lives, or we can sit around and wallow in our disappointment and grief. I've tried it both ways, and I have to say that growing up in the horse industry has taught me that when you fall off, you get back on. You may be scared to death, but if you don't try again, you will spend the rest of your life wondering if you could have.
Yesterday marked another milestone. My daughter fell off her pony for the first time. She "cowgirled" just a little too much when she asked him to lope off and lost her stirrup. She got overbalanced and I guess she thought she was a bareback rider. For some reason, she reached out and grabbed the fence. Her pony headed in the opposite direction and quickly separated her from her saddle! Seeing her flying through the air, my heart was in my throat. I managed to keep my emotions under control, because I have learned that if I panic the kids will, too. Before I got to her, she stood up, dusted herself off, and without a single tear took off toward her pony. He was parked next to her sister, who was sitting on his buddy. After I made sure she was okay, I couldn't have been more proud of her. My hope is that when she gets bucked off in her life, literally and figuratively, she will always get back on.
I hope the Olympians who experienced more heartbreak than joy this week will do the same. The people who love and support you still love and support you. The people who were proud of you before are still proud of you now. Whether you are going home with a gold medal around your neck or a suitcase full of shattered dreams, I hope that you found joy in the journey and will continue to be proud of who you are and what you have accomplished. Just remember that the people who are criticizing you are doing it from their couch. Congratulations on a dream fulfilled just by becoming an Olympic athlete!