Over the last few months, I have had a number of the athletes that I coach who are done high school and now leaving to attend university or to enter the work world.
One of my athletes and her mother got together with me over lunch and presented me with a beautiful scrapbook of photos, quotes, etc. that they had spent months on creating for me. This scrapbook told the story of our memorable 12 year journey together. This began from the time that I had started coaching her at the age of 6, winning the CanSkater of the year award, up until the time that she became a quad Gold medallist in all 4 disciplines of skating as well as winning Gold at National StarSkate Championships.
In looking through this scrapbook, I felt a surge of tremendous joy as well as overwhelming love. Tears came to my eyes and huge expansive energy moves through my heart chakra area. In that moment, I realized that everything that happened over those years was done out of deep connection and love. It was through this deep connection and love that enabled so much to manifest.
As I looked back, I realized that each and every single choice that I made, as a coach, had originated out of love. I realized that only through each of us, the athlete and parent and coach, deeply connected with an ongoing willingness to support each other could such an incredible journey have been created.
Her mother and I reminisced about the countless times in which we joined in conversations about what decisions and choices we could make that would create the life experience that we wanted for this child/athlete. She listened and was respectful to me as a coach bringing in my expertise and experience. I listened to her, as a mother, with her inner desires to have her child experience success and enjoyment. What was important and meaningful to each of us was always open to expression. We engaged in truthful conversations with each other throughout the years even when there were things that we were hesitant to express since we were not sure how the other person would react. Only in retrospect could we see the life intelligence behind some of the more frustrating moments that were unknowingly preparing us for something more meaningful still yet to come.
Both of us crying, her tears, as the parent, over her daughter now leaving skating and home to forge her own independent journey as a young women and me, as the coach, over the athlete who has reached her fullest potential and now is moving on to other life intentions. Each of us teary, as an incredible shared life journey was coming to a close.
Each of us in the relationship got to be who we were and all contributed what was important in order to make this happen. In fact, when I commented to my skater that she always had the drive, determination, talent, etc, (that is, all of the athletic qualities to make it happen and to become a champion athlete), she shrugged and commented that it really did not seem that she was doing anything except just being herSelf.
Miracles can happen in relationships in which there is a deep connection, when we are act out of love, and when there is openness to truthful Self-expression.
No comments:
Post a Comment