Ups and Downs

I'm sitting here watching the Closing Ceremonies for the Olympics as I type this. I just love the Olympics. I remember watching as a little kid. Probably the first one I remember watching was the '88 games is Seoul, Korea. I only would've been about 10 years old. I remember watching Greg Louganis dive. Is that the same games where he cracked his head on the diving board? I can't quite remember. I really got into the Winter games in '92 when Paul Wylie won his silver medal. Yeah... just Silver, but it was amazing. He wasn't expected to come close. I remember Shannon Miller winning the Silver Medal that same year in Barcelona. In '96 who doesn't remember Kerri Strugg and the famous vault? She was a part of the "magnificent 7" women's gymnastics team that won the team gold in Atlanta. There have been many exciting moments in Beijing. Michael Phelps winning a record 8 gold medals, (I was jumping up and down in my living room several times during the swimming competitions! Talk about close!) Nastia Liukin winning the all around gold, the women's volleyball team winning the gold medal and a record 108 matches, the Men's basketball team or the "redeem team" so they called it, Dara Torres competing at her age and still winning silver while showing superb sportsmanship to her competitor who had a torn swimsuit, Shawn Johnson FINALLY getting that gold medal after coming in second so many times.... There were some disappointments as well.... Track and Field not even qualifying for the finals of the relay, the one gymnast that kept missing her routines and probably cost us the gold, some of our swimmers not even making the finals, the Chinese track star plagued with an injury and feeling as though he had let down a nation, etc. I love hearing the individual stories of the athletes, their trials, heartache, and hard work. Through adversity and perseverance, the amazing feats they are able to accomplish. I love the Olympic spirit.
This has been a week filled with many ups and downs. On one hand the kids have started school, I've started back into scouts, work is picking up for Jonas, and our family has gotten into their everyday routines. Life is good. Then we get some bad news. One of our dearest friends and a coworker of my husband was diagnosed this week with terminal brain cancer. He has a wife and three children. I was sick when my husband told me. How can someone seemingly be so healthy and have a hidden germ inside them? He had a surgery on Friday to remove the tumor. He is doing remarkably well, but is obviously not the same. He is good man and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. For example: His wife was telling me that they would be eating at a restaurant and see an elderly couple eating. He would ask their server for their ticket and pay for their meal. He would then tell them on their way out... "I don't get to take my grandparents out to lunch anymore, so I'd like to take you out to lunch instead!" Those random acts of kindness were just normal for our friend. Now begins a long road of healing and rehabilitation. The doctors gave him two years. I think of the Olympians preparing for a meet or a gold medal game, etc. How many times does the underdog win? I think of the Men's swimming relay. They weren't favored for gold, just when it looked like they were going to lose the race, they came back fighting, using their last boost of energy and ended up winning. Attitude is important. Doctors can say what they "think" a man's time left on earth is. Do they really know? I believe it's all according to someones determination, will , and desire. Will he win the race? Only time will tell. I do know one thing for sure... if we could all be a little more charitable, a little more kind, putting ourselves in the service of others, working hard, and determined to do what is good..... I believe we will be at the top of the podium one day. May a little bit of the Olympic spirit burn inside all of us.