23 years ago..

as a child I dreamed of becoming an Olympic ice skater. I lived away from home and trained at championship facilities with championship coaches and friends that achieved the dream (Brian Boitano and Nancy Kerrigan are friends). As I walk Parker around the house during "fusstime" I often stop to look at the pictures posted around our house. Yesterday I stopped to read a signed piece of Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under 4 minutes in 1954. This was given to my parents by a friend and colleague in 1986 that was so impressed with Roger he had an artist draw a depiction of him crossing the finish line, then adding Bannister's poem to the drawing. He had 50 copies made and sent them to England to have them signed by Bannister. What struck me today were the words on the poem, "...what special gift favored him? The quality of mind that said, "it can be done." Life's prizes are not won by those who merely possess nature's gifts. They go to those with the will to win." The friend sent a letter as well and his comments reasonate to me as well, " as I became older, I realized the poem addresses not only the frame of mind a champion athlete must have, but the frame of mind which each of us must have to do our very best in undertaking life's most mundane tasks." He went on to write, " I enclose a copy for your daughter, whom I understand is attempting to be a champion skater herself. I give it to her only on the condition she understand that the quality of mind referred to in this poem addresses not only the quality of mind she must have in achieving athletic greatness, but the attitude she must have in achieving the prizes each day offers."

Lord, help me have an attitude of greatness to achieve the daily prizes each day offers!

Lara