I thought we could live like "that"

Ever since I can remember I have loved the Olympics. As a child, I would create charts and graphs and follow the events picking who I thought would win the medals. I studied the athletes (from all of the participating countries), studied the sports and overall dove right into the whole thing from the opening ceremonies to the last credit running on the screen following the closing festivities.
What I really took away from all of it wasn’t just my amazement of the athletes and their talents….but actually WHAT the whole event stood for.

I loved to watch all of the countries march in side by side – I always thought we could really live like that some day.

I loved to watch competitors embrace one another at the end of a race – I always thought that we could really live like that some day.

I loved the way countries respected one another and all came together as a world community – I always thought we could really live like that some day.

I loved to see the tears of joy and pain and sorrow and hope as the athletes revealed to the world their talents …and I loved watching even their foes showing respect and Awe at what they saw – I always thought we could really live like that some day.

To me, what the Olympic event represents is hope - a dream – that IF we all come together we would experience a much better world to live in.

So as I watch the Olympics this time, I, once again, will be hoping that what I am watching on the screen and feeling in my heart can somehow carry on after the event is over.

I will take it upon myself to do my best to carry the message forward in my life – which in turn, I hope, will radiate and BEAM out into the lives of those with whom I come in contact with….