“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirits.” -Wilma Rudolph
As I write this, the 2024 Summer Olympics has come to a close, and I am surprisingly very sad. I don’t think about the Olympics a whole lot during the off years, but I am always amazed to how strongly my blood runs red, white and blue during the two weeks of the Olympic games every two years (Yes, I love the Winter Olympics, too!).
I know I am a big sap, but I love anything that brings our country together, and not enough good things do that anymore. The Olympics are the one thing that keeps making all of us share an American pride that no other thing on the planet can do.
It’s not just American pride though. It’s the joy of seeing someone do something miraculous and then appreciating how hard they had to work to get there. It’s seeing these unbelievable athletes from countries that don’t get along give each other hugs after a race or an event and cry tears of joy and loss together. It’s so amazing to see athletes of different races, creeds and religions respect, console, and celebrate each other. It brings tears to my eyes at the thought of it and how powerful it is.
It also makes me realize that country politics and country leadership do not define us as human beings. It makes me sad to think of the millions of people across the world who didn’t have an athlete competing in these games because their country’s leadership does not know how to play nice and put their people first. Wouldn’t it have been amazing to see a Russian and a Ukrainian athlete hug after a great battle on the track or in the pool? Wouldn’t it have been earth shattering good to see a Palestinian and an Israeli athlete share a moment of respect and appreciation after a photo finish or a buzzer beater? Maybe I’m naïve, but I think we need the Olympics every couple of years to remind us that forgiveness is possible and that hundreds of years of hate and abuse can be reversed with a little kindness and generosity.
We can all learn a great lesson from the Olympics and the world class athletes we are lucky to watch, support and cheer for. They truly see other as equals, even after the medals are handed out. They are able to wash away differences and focus on shared values and the golden rule.
These young athletes are the epitome of freedom, dedication, commitment and joy. They are also the best in the business in the areas of humility, unselfishness and empathy. We need a lot more of these role models more than just every couple of years for two week stretches.
I will go to sleep tonight proud to be an American, but I will also go to sleep proud to be a member of the brother and sisterhood of the Earth. We have a long way to go, but these last two weeks gave me hope that we may be closer than I think.
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