Finding the Words • Wait for It
About This Episode
Have you ever experienced a moment that made you feel strong, maybe even capable of great things? Perhaps it was a big goal accomplished, an affirmation from someone you admire, or a time when you helped someone who really needed it?
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Have you ever experienced a moment that made you feel strong, maybe even capable of great things? Perhaps it was a big goal accomplished, an affirmation from someone you admire, or a time when you helped someone who really needed it?
This past weekend, I witnessed such a moment, and share it here with you in the hope that I never forget it…
Last Sunday, after months of training with 23 elementary school girls, my first season as a Girls on the Run coach came to a powerful conclusion with our community 5K run. While we’ve met twice a week for the past 10 weeks, I was unprepared for how deep of a bond had formed between our teammates and how powerful of a moment would meet us at the end of that 5K day.
Let me take you there: It was an early Sunday morning. 76 degrees by 7:30 am and expected to be in the high 90s by noon. 5,000 runners—girls and their running Buddies, coaches, teachers, and family members all gathered around the outskirts of our local mall for a 3.1 mile run that would serve as the culmination of the girls’ training efforts. The last few years, given COVID restrictions, this day had looked very different, taking place in local parks or at elementary schools, with girls running just with their own team to complete their 5K.
But this day was different. There was energy and excitement in the air. Thousands of girls were about to accomplish something big, and they were going to do it together. The run began and our team launched as a pack. As is usually the case, that pack broke apart into smaller groups of girls between miles 1 and 2, as girls started to find their pace. Within 45 minutes, most girls had crossed the finish line, strong and proud of their accomplishment.
One team member and her parent hadn’t yet returned and after a few minutes of watching the last of the runners bound across that finish line, we became concerned. After a call with her dad, we learned she was fine, just taking it slow and that she would be coming around the last corner in a matter of moments. Our team of girls lined up along the home stretch—the race barrier barely holding back their energy and support for their teammate.
A volunteer on the course saw the moment unfolding, and quietly opened a gate so the girls could re-enter the course. They saw their friend in the distance and ran to her, then promptly turned, and all ran WITH her to cross the finish line.
That was the moment I hope to never forget. A moment when one young girl, exhausted from the sun, felt the power of achieving her goal, with a whole community of friends by her side. That’s what this season was all about.
Sometimes we set goals and don’t think about how hard they will actually be to accomplish. We don’t think about how the hot sun will slow us down, how the crowds will trip us up, or how the intensity of the moment can make us doubt ourselves.
But in these moments, it’s important to remember that we’re never alone. There will always be someone looking out for you, waiting around the corner, even when you don’t know it, just as there will be moments that you need to get off the sidelines to support someone in reaching their goal.
Keep your eyes open. Help someone along. Don’t let these little moments pass by. We are all capable of great things. Sometimes we just need one another to realize that greatness in ourselves.
