The Olympics are right around the corner. And, I must admit, my household is a-buzz with excitement. B and I regularly spend evening watching the Olympic trials and picking arbitrary favorites. The thing that consistantly shocks me is the age of many of these athletes. Thirteen year olds compete for a place on Olympic teams. There are high-schoolers to college grads.
A few nights ago, we watched a 17-year-old girl compete in the synchronized diving trails. She and her partner came within a tenth of a point of qualifying — falling just short of the dream. Every time she would dive, the camera would pan to her family holding signs, holding their breath, holding each other. When she came up short, her eyes filled with tears and you could see her searching the crowd for the one person who could make it better. Over and over she mouthed the word, "Mom." Afterwards, as NBC was interviewing the winners, the commentator asked what each girl was going to do to celebrate their narrow victory. One of the champions smiled demurely and said, "First, I need to give my mom a hug and a kiss."
I found myself weeping. Both girls had said so much. When you're happy and when you're sad and when you're sick, or excited, or anxious, or overwhelmed ... the person you most notably turn to is your mom. She's the sun that for years childrens' worlds revolve around. She makes things that are great seem better. And, things that are devastating seem manageable.
That's why P&G's commercials for moms are so priceless. So, to all the fabulous moms out there, thanks! A few of my favorite P&G commercials are archived here:
No comments:
Post a Comment