Friday, March 29th, 2024 Church Directory

Defining Moments

Moments come and go every day. There are certain ones that stand out and stay with you. Moments that impacts your outlook, behavior, heart – your life.

I go back to the high school track, 1973.  I was 10 and there was going to be a “Co-ed Track Tryout” in my hometown of Buffalo. I was a sprinter and could run fast. In school, I could keep up and beat some of the boys in my grade. I started practicing.

The day of the tryouts came. I was the only girl there. Mom suggested we could leave but I said, “No, I have worked too hard, I’m going to try.”  My name was called and I lined up in the blocks. The boy I was racing against was a grade ahead of me. 

The shot rang out and I was off. I was ahead of my opponent. My fists were clinched and I was running for all I was worth. I didn’t realize it, but my head was leaning too far forward and I fell flat on my face. For a nano second, I thought to stay down, but something on the inside rose up and I told myself, I’m not going to quit. I popped up fast as I hit the track and my opponent beat me by a second and a half. 

The people in the stands stood up and clapped for me. At the time, I didn’t realize why? I lost the race, but my spirit won.  Little did I know this moment would impact how I handle challenges in life and give me insight into my strengths.

Everyone could probably attest the school years were full of defining moments. You learned a lot about people, relationships and of course, school stuff. There were some lessons harder than others, but help to give us wisdom in the days ahead.

High school graduation is a big moment. This is where you take everything you’ve learned and go out into the real world. Your strengths start to surface.

The “first love” is well known by the heart. For some, the first love remains forever. For others like me, there were tears and heartbreak all rolled up into one big kick, stomp and crack in those rose-colored glasses - lesson. 

As fate would have it, the breakup was for the best, as I found someone better. Getting married is one of the biggest moments in a person’s life. You hope it is for a lifetime, although for some, it does not always work out that way. 

Deciding to have children is right up there at the peak. No one can prepare for what is to come, despite the stories. The whole gamut of moments is here; joy, laughter, tears, frustration, challenges and love. 

Like most of us, I have different jobs over the years. There were some that brought a sense of achievement and ones that wreaked havoc on my nervous system. Having dinner at Windows of the World, on the 107th floor of the trade center, is near the top of my “Ahh” work moments. 

By far, saying goodbye to someone or something is the hardest. Whether we know it is coming or it is thrust upon us, it’s tough and the pain can be unbearable. God…steps in moment. 

I had no idea what it would be like with grandchildren. We enjoyed our girls and watching them grow and become successful adults. Our parents doted on the grandchildren but we didn’t realize the big picture until we had our own. 

Now, we have a four year old boy and a two year old girl, who completely run with our hearts. These moments add value to life and it is never the same again.

There are so many kinds of moments; it’s hard to grasp them all, but we are always in one. Some will knock you down and some will bring you up. Some you’ll never forget and some you wish you could. Some will take your breath away and some make you breathe harder. 

Moments... shape and mold us; it’s the way of life.