Butterflies Galore

She stood at the starting gate, looking at the slalom run tumbling down the mountain. Her mom and dad had been encouraging her all ski season to join a NASTAR race and she had finally agreed. At seven years old, she was the youngest competitor in the field. The girls who had gone before her seemed much bigger and better than she was and she was very nervous. Then she looked briefly to her right and saw the crowd of people standing just outside the run, watching the competition. At the very front of the crowd she saw her parents, her brother, and her grandma and grandpa. They were all clapping for her, encouraging her, yelling “you can do it.” In fact, she realized the entire crowd was clapping for her and encouraging her. She remembered what her mom had told her when she signed her up for the race, “just do your best, and no matter what happens we will all be waiting for you at the bottom.” The gate dropped and she started out onto the course, past the first gate, past the second gate, picking up speed as she went. In what seemed like a blink of any eye, she realized she was crossing the finish. As she slowed to a stop and turned to the right, she saw her entire family running towards her, smiling and yelling. Her dad arrived first and scooped her up in huge embrace, telling her how proud he was of her. As the rest of the family arrived with more hugs and kisses and words of praise, she was swept up in several emotions – relief that it was over, happiness that she had done it, and a little thought in the back of her mind that she wanted to do it again, and next time she would do better.

Snow sports: The family tie that binds!