The Olympics...2020?

I think often about the parents of Olympic athletes. That may sound funny...but I wonder if I have what it takes to be the parent of an Olympian.

Usually when we think of the Olympics, we just think of the athletes themselves. But behind every one of those athletes was a person that loved them enough to sacrifice a lot of their own life to sit on bleachers and endure hours of practices each day so that a future Olympian could emerge.

My eight year old is a natural athlete and a gifted gymnast. She has been on a hiatus now for almost a year from competing that stems from our move to Texas in the fall and our mid year move to Mississippi. Unfortunately the closest gym to our current house is 45 minutes away. And practice at her level is already close to 12 hours a week! It seems like a nice gym and a pretty good program. My biggest hesitation now is figuring out how I make it fair to my other 3 children who also have their own interests that I want to consider and support. If I was just sacrificing my own schedule it would be another situation...but we're a large family and all my kids have a lot of potential that I want to be able to help cultivate.

This commercial brings me to tears every time. It's the blond haired blue eyed gymnast...I just see my 8 year old when they show her little face.  I just wish I knew...what is her future as far as gymnastics?  Should we make the drive and sacrifice time so this could be her future. I realize the odds are like winning the lottery, but you don't have a chance of winning the lotto if you don't buy a ticket...she'll never have a shot at any future in gymnastics, even a college scholarship, if she doesn't start training.

So I pray.  And I look at my calendar.  And I look into other activities for my other kids.  And I stress.  And I wonder.  And I pray. And I ask my daughter, "are you SURE you're wanting to do this"...and I watch commercials like this and I wonder if I have what it takes!