Sunday, February 26, 2012

This is what....


When I saw them run by today, I was excited. When I saw them stroll by in the lobby after the their race, I was thrilled because I knew I'd have a chance to take Malone to meet them. This is what I want Malone to remember about this day.

Dear Malone,

This is what determination looks like.



Today Daddy finished his first half marathon. This was a goal he has been working towards for over a year. He has made his dream come true through hard work and perseverance. He spent many nights running by head lamp after you were in bed and many of his lunch hours on the dreadmill. He did it without sacrificing time he could have spent with you. There were days when he didn't want to lace up his shoes and get out there, but he didn't give up. He pushed on to work through it.

This is what hard work looks like.

And.

This is what love looks like.

This is Team Hoyt (Dick is the dad, Rick is the son). We had the extraordinary luck to run into them today while we were waiting for daddy to cross the finish line. When Rick was born, there were some complications. As a result, he was diagnosed as a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy.

His parents were advised to put him in a mental institution.

But instead, they fought for him. They fought for him to accepted as part of their community- to go to school, to learn, to dream, to live his best life.

When Dick learned that Rick wanted to run, he set out to make that dream come true. He worked hard, pushing Rick in a special wheel chair.

One foot in front of the other.

At their first race, they came in second to last place.

But they didn't give up. And they haven't.

This year they will cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon for the 30th time. They have also competed in several triathlons- thinking outside of the box to find a way to make those dreams come true.

There will come a time when you will admire a professional athlete or singer. You may not ever remember meeting Team Hoyt today. But I want you to remember the lessons they teach us.

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things too.

People of ALL abilities have the power to inspire us and to do great things.

If you have a dream, you can make it happen. You may have to think outside of the box to get there. But Daddy and I will be here to help you the best we can.

Love,
Mommy

5 comments:

  1. How cool you got to meet them! I've read about them before; it's an awesome story!

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  2. It was luck, right place at the right time. But the were so gracious and nice! They are racing out our way in April so we might try to catch them again!
    Sent from my iPad

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  3. I cannot believe you got to meet the Hoyts. And got your picture with them! Their story is so inspiring.... It brings me to tears every time I think of it. Unconditional love. what a great post!

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  4. It was COMPLETE luck! Their story is REMARKABLE!

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