What a summer! So, I haven’t blogged in quite a few weeks; I’ve taken this time to try to recoup from the crazy months we’ve had and reflect on not only where I’ve been, but where I’m heading. I’ve mentioned on my Facebook page that I would be recapping the summer a bit (including the proud mama moments, of course) so that’s where I’ll begin.
Summer Recap!
Highlight #1 – Returning to Micronesia and (attempting) to get settled again and into a routine. Yeah, still working on that routine thing.
Highlight #2 – 2014 Micronesian Games (and here’s where the proud mama moments come into play!). It was a huge honor for our 14 year old son to make the Pohnpei Swim Team for the Micro Games. At his age and experience level, we weren’t really sure what to expect; after all, we’re talking international competition! It was quite an experience – an amazing one really. My husband and I were both able to work as volunteers for the Games (a bit of an ulterior motive of course as this got us access passes to the pool deck so we could get a better view of our son competing!). Learning the behind-the-scenes details involved in FINA swimming, working closely with officials from the Oceania Swimming Association, and meeting some amazing athletes are just a few of the highlights of the Games but of course nothing beats getting to see your own son compete in his first international competition – AND MEDALING!!! Kaleo did well in all his events (dropping time in everything he competed in), made it to finals in 2 of his individual events (finishing 6th in both) and taking bronze along with his team members in the Men’s Freestyle Relay! Yes, I couldn’t be more proud of my son!
And now summer comes to an end and “Back-to-school” photos and excitement has taken over my Facebook newsfeed. The excitement and thrill of the Micronesian Games and winning a bronze medal is slowly fading into the background for my son and it’s time for the more mundane – you know, things like high school, research papers, and turning 15. And this brings me to the actual topic of this blog post – commitment. You see, for the 10 days of the Micronesian Games and the adrenaline-filled days that followed, the focus was on the medals won. No one talked much about the 10 months of intense training that came before July 20th. No one mentioned the 5:30 AM drives to the pool, the lack of social life because practice meant going straight from school and not getting home till 8 PM (just enough time to tackle that homework!) and weekend meets, or the focus on eating the right foods and taking the right vitamins when hey, you’d just rather have a cheeseburger! No one said a whole lot about the fact that these are the things that got a 14 year old to this kind of competition. But when the Games ended, that is when commitment took on a whole new level for my son. You see, we live on a little island; our swim team is funded by outside organizations and the funds were dwindling…And our coach was leaving…And there was no money to hire a new one. The commitment to becoming an excellent swimmer takes on a whole new level when you’re getting up at 5:30 AM to head to the pool – and there’s no coach waiting for you – you’re doing this entirely on your own. Commitment takes on a different meaning when you practice 8 sessions a week…again, on your own.
For most of us, we don’t have a coach. We don’t have someone telling us to get up and workout or to eat a certain way. My son has been blessed with some great coaches. But the truth is, they didn’t force him to excel. He had to work at it. It had to come from within. An inspiration to his old mom, let me tell you. So now that the adrenaline and craziness of the summer has passed, I have to take a look at my own commitment. It’s not easy to get up at 5 AM and get in my workout – but I know if I don’t, it won’t happen in the chaos of homeschool and everything else we have going on. It’s not easy planning my clean eating out each week…and then making sure it happens! But I know if I don’t put in the time to plan and prepare, again, it just won’t happen. So how committed are you? Maybe you don’t have the luxury of a coach to hold you accountable, make sure you workout, and help you plan those meals. Oh, but guess what! You can! Our Challenge Groups do just that! So I invite you to join us. I am blessed to see the daily commitment of my own son as he has his sights on some very specific goals; and I am blessed to see the daily commitment of the awesome ladies in our Challenge Group who also have their sights on some very specific goals. Being surrounded by committed and motivated people does wonders to my own level of commitment! Why don’t you give it a try? Join us!
So as I look back over the summer, all we have left is memories, many bittersweet, but I look forward with renewed commitment for what lies ahead. A quote from Dr. Seuss that pops into my head as I reflect on the past few months is “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” There were tears as we said goodbye to some close friends and family members this summer; but also smiles as I reflect on the memories and dream of what can be in the coming months. Here’s to the future – mine and yours!