~:[CH7 - Day 137]:~ Reaching the End

~:[CH7 - Day 137]:~ Reaching the End

As the season progresses into playoffs, it's a challenge because you never really know when the end of the season is going to be. At times, you get frustrated at athletes because they don't show up or don't work as hard as you want them to, but there are also moments when you are so proud of what they accomplished or when you think back to all the memories you've shared with them. As painful as some of the moments were in the life of this guy, he's hung in. When you lose a parent, a grandparent, your cars, and your house while you are in high school, I don't really know how you keep pushing through, but he did. Through the challenges, I was able to grow close with their family and do whatever I could to support them and in return, I earned the love of a beautiful family who I have grown so much respect for. At moments, I get upset at him, but in the end, I just think about how much I've learned from him. I saw how unfair life can be, but I also saw how beautiful life can become. I saw how life can change in an instant, which reminded me that we must appreciate and cherish all that we have. It probably wasn't easy for him, but he showed a fairly strong resilience through all the ups and downs and I'm glad that we've been able to create so many memories over the course of his high school days. It's amazing how the same person who gave you white hairs, could be the one you've grown close to and learned so much from, but when you keep an open mind and open heart, it's easy to find those who come into your life for a reason. Whether or not he vaults on Saturday, the fact that he is there means more to me than anything else, as after all the ups and downs he faced in life, he found a way to breakthrough to get to the next level. He may have wanted to go higher, but in the end when I look back, I was just happy that he is still here vaulting with us until the very end. In vaulting, you're going to have disastrous days where nothing goes right and cannot even do something basic, just as the challenges you face in life. Through my experiences with this guy, I've learned that even after the toughest of days, you need to keep getting back up and never let the challenges of life beat you. It's going to be painful and you're going to want to quit at times, but you must be resilient and never allow yourself to give up on yourself.