Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Nice point, Summer Sanders! (part 2 of 2, mom focus)

THAT was the end of a fancy week.  The charcuterie -- I wanted to eat more of it, but had to balance it with talking and being proper and making introductions.  If I could have just eaten it, I wouldn't have had to think about it all night.
But actually I didn't think about it all night.  I thought about my mom.  I thought about how good a job she did.  

(Who wants to tell me how to make this right side up?)

Last post, I talked about my dad and how he, like Mia Hamm's dad, knew very little about the sport in which his daughter was starting to compete in and love.  I promised the other side of the story.
My dad wasn't a vocal cheerer and as I mentioned, he may not have really known how to cheer.

But if you know my mom, we ALL know she can get a bit vocal.  She comes from a vocal family and is the oldest!  Now, she didn't grow up running either, but she was home more than my dad and really paid attention to me.  I didn't talk a lot as a kid or through high school.  (I was described by my carpool ride, PP, as "habitually taciturn").  She did a lot of observing.

Then came races.  As SO'B replied to the previous post on Facebook, yes - she cheered loudly.  She cheered, "You are beautiful" loudly.  She cheered, "Smile!  You are beautiful!" loudly.

Recently I was listening to an interview Summer Sanders did where she talked about her parents and how their whole lives did not revolve around how Summer swam that day.  Summer mentions how after meets they'd go to the pizza parlor and she'd be given ten quarters.  I got to go to Wendy's and get the spicy chicken sandwich (still a favorite!) after a race and my mom would have big bowl of grits and eggs ready for me when I got done with my weekend long run.  It didn't matter if I had PRd in the race.  She would always ask me if I wanted to go to Wendy's.  
Then-- it was my decision on what to do with that offer.  
I'd usually choose yes, but I do remember a time after the Summer Beaches run (probably 1993 or 94) in Jacksonville when I definitely didn't want to go because I didn't feel like I had come close to earning it.  I felt like it would diminish the specialty if I went after I hadn't really tried.  But that was all my decision.  She still always offered.
She supported me as I showed the consistent dedication.  She kept me accountable when I was simply tired.  She gave me time to think and process and develop according to my desires and drives.  


Now I'm reminded what I asked my coach, TK, used to cheer my senior year.
Tell you next time.