The heart-tugging, emotionally-wrenching stories last night were about athletes who couldn't compete or struggle with unimaginable adversity.
Kevin Pearce is an Olympic snowboarder who was set to rival Shaun White this year. At a practice session, he hit his head on the half pipe and is now brain damaged and struggling to walk and talk. His family was interviewed and they have more strength and faith than I can even imagine. He is improving, but it's still uncertain whether he'll ever walk again let alone sail as he did before.
Joannie Rochette's mother died suddenly of a heart attack a couple of days ago while in Vancouver to watch her daughter in the ice skating competition. Joannie's father was there watching her practice the day after his wife died. Joannie is an only child (like my daughter) and was very close to her mom. She will skate tonight despite the unspeakable loss.
I can't even go into detail on these stories. It's too hard. I get too emotionally involved. I don't know why I just am flooded with sorrow instead of feeling the hope and strength of these people.
And that is why I don't like to watch the Olympics. Because they tug at my feelings so strongly that I end up a weepy puddle of goo. I know I could not ever react with the courage these people show. I never want to be tested to this extent. I don't want to know that this kind of tragedy is possible. I prefer the ostrich philosophy just because I don't want to feel...
7 comments:
Well, now I'm going to look up Kevin Pearce and his story and cry. THANKS. haha
Boy, and I with you on this! Every Olympic year I say, "Ok, I'm not going to get involved with that this year!" Then, they suck me in with their stories, I'm completely hooked, then, BAM!! Tragedy strikes! I can't handle it anymore, I'm too old for this!!
I get weepy at stories like that too. Not just with the Olympics but, heck, I can't even watch the Extreme Home Makeover show without getting all teary eyed. I haven't been watching the Olympics that much this year, been kind of busy and the last couple of nights we have been glued to the Discovery channel for "King Tut Unwrapped."
Wow, that is amazing that people can have such faith and courage to keep going even when life gets tough! I wished I would have watched last night!
Those stories get to me too.....I can't even imagine what I would do in a situation like that. Stories like that always make me tear up. And like Amy, so does Extreme Makover.
I have mixed feelings about the whole Olympic thing. When they were here in Utah in 2002 we left the country!
But despite my best "I don't give a damn" attitude, I am glued to the tv.
Shaun White of the half pipe! Good grief, I want to be a kid again, such talent.
And about sorrow, sometimes we are tested to the very core of our being, and guess what, you would survive:)
I had an only child, a girl, for 10 years. Then we gave her the gift of a sibling...she's still pissed off;)
Those stories get me every time! I can't handle it. There was another one about the Canadian ski cross skier who almost drowned because he was an alcoholic, and went to rehab, is sobered up, almost won gold and then wrecked right near the end. I wanted him to win so badly!
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