Just wanted to let everyone know that I am going to Buenos Aires tomorrow for the next world cup. It's been about ten years since I was last there and I forgot about the 10 hour trip it takes to get there.
I probably won't post between now and when I get back on Monday.
Have a great week and weekend! :)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Family of friends
It's Memorial Day. For some, this day means little more than an extra day off of work or school, barbecues with the family, or the true start of summer.
However, this morning I was struck by the sadness of a photo on the front page of the New York Times. The photograph was of a young woman, probably my age, laying down on the grave site of her fiance who was killed in Iraq this past February. In that moment I thought about what it would feel like to be her-to love someone and lose them to something that you weren't even sure of.
So, with that thought and this image, I bow my head and say a prayer to all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect our country.
It's not so easy to transition from this topic to the next, which is more upbeat, but I want to bring it up anyways since this is my blog and I can write what I want to.
This past weekend I had an opportunity to attend a wonderful wedding in North Carolina. The groom is a friend of mine and a great fencer, Keeth Smart. His sister Erinn, who was a bridesmaid in the wedding, is also a good friend and teammate of mine.
So Iris, what's the point? Well, there were several fencers that were present at the wedding as well. A lot of these fencers I grew up with as a teenager-we were teammates and friends. We had our first travel, competition, and going out expereinces together. One of the people in the group was the first person I ever kissed-he and I shared my first kiss in Valencia, Venezuela of all places about seven or eight years ago.
Most of the fencers at the wedding retired from the sport so I haven't seen them in so long. But, it was like picking up where we left off. Seeing them was a reminder of how close we all become when we share these experiences together.
We are a family. The fencing group is definitely like a family. We know each other very intimately-in a way that most people don't understand. We are part of a sport and part of something bigger than ourselves. These are the people that I can turn to and without a word they will understand everything that I am going through.
The most interesting part of speaking with all of them-it was clear that none of them could shake the sport. Most of them applauded me for continuing to pursue my dream because they would love to do the same. One of my friends at the wedding, mentioned how much of a hole she felt in her life after she left the sport-like a part of her was always missing.
I feel the same. Just recently I realized how happy I was to be back in the sport. I know there was a lot of hesitation at the risk in the beginning, but now I feel like I have finally found what I was looking for. I love the traveling, I love the people in the sport, and I love the game itself.
I am very lucky to have the opportunity to pursue my passions and to make so many close friends in the process. I know that they will always be there and these memories will always make us smile.
However, this morning I was struck by the sadness of a photo on the front page of the New York Times. The photograph was of a young woman, probably my age, laying down on the grave site of her fiance who was killed in Iraq this past February. In that moment I thought about what it would feel like to be her-to love someone and lose them to something that you weren't even sure of.
So, with that thought and this image, I bow my head and say a prayer to all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect our country.
It's not so easy to transition from this topic to the next, which is more upbeat, but I want to bring it up anyways since this is my blog and I can write what I want to.
This past weekend I had an opportunity to attend a wonderful wedding in North Carolina. The groom is a friend of mine and a great fencer, Keeth Smart. His sister Erinn, who was a bridesmaid in the wedding, is also a good friend and teammate of mine.
So Iris, what's the point? Well, there were several fencers that were present at the wedding as well. A lot of these fencers I grew up with as a teenager-we were teammates and friends. We had our first travel, competition, and going out expereinces together. One of the people in the group was the first person I ever kissed-he and I shared my first kiss in Valencia, Venezuela of all places about seven or eight years ago.
Most of the fencers at the wedding retired from the sport so I haven't seen them in so long. But, it was like picking up where we left off. Seeing them was a reminder of how close we all become when we share these experiences together.
We are a family. The fencing group is definitely like a family. We know each other very intimately-in a way that most people don't understand. We are part of a sport and part of something bigger than ourselves. These are the people that I can turn to and without a word they will understand everything that I am going through.
The most interesting part of speaking with all of them-it was clear that none of them could shake the sport. Most of them applauded me for continuing to pursue my dream because they would love to do the same. One of my friends at the wedding, mentioned how much of a hole she felt in her life after she left the sport-like a part of her was always missing.
I feel the same. Just recently I realized how happy I was to be back in the sport. I know there was a lot of hesitation at the risk in the beginning, but now I feel like I have finally found what I was looking for. I love the traveling, I love the people in the sport, and I love the game itself.
I am very lucky to have the opportunity to pursue my passions and to make so many close friends in the process. I know that they will always be there and these memories will always make us smile.
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