This past two weeks have been a whirl wind! The magic that we experienced on our trip abroad is indescribable . I don't even know the words to write to allow you to understand the love we felt . As a family, we totally understand the gift we were given from Proctor and Gamble. It was such an honour to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympics. We wore our colours proudly, and never hesitated replying to questions about our great country we live in. We experienced so much in the time we were gone. Great Britain was so wonderful. the energy, the people, the sights, the food, and the drink. The excitement of the Olympics was everywhere. It was normal to see athletes walk among the people displaying their countries colours proudly, while sporting their athlete badges proudly around their neck. Why wouldn't they wear their colours and ID proudly. They represent their sport for their country, all the while knowing that they may not bring a medal back for their country. I looked at them with awe. I thought here walks someones daughter/son, brother/sister, husband/wife, mother/father. The hope and awe in their eyes at the same attractions we werein awe of, all the time trying not to distract themselves from their main goal, that medal that all our companies promote the winning of, that all the newspapers write about and all the media interviews focus on. What I would love to see is follow up commercials, interviews and newspaper stories about those athletes. About the athletes who managed to have fate on their side and brought home medals, but mostly the athletes that had a medal slip through their hands. We need to remind those athletes all over the world, that we are proud and honoured by their performance. That we understand their disappointment, that we grieve their lost, but ultimately how utterly proud we are of them as a nation. They are our brothers/sisters, mother/fathers,husbands/wives, and daughters/sons. They can not disappoint us, they can not fail. Failure is a part of life, it humbles us. Failure is not what these athletes may experience, it is a twist of fate. A bubble in their timeline, and they need to be reminded that we stand in awe as a nation at their ability just to get this far. Their dedication, and their time and life they sacrificed for our country. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU !
All these "hopefuls" walked the same pavement as my family, they saw the sights just like us. They bleed just like us. They have ups and downs just like us. While Annika and I make sacrifices for our health and body, they make sacrifices for a nation.
We were so honoured to be able to witness this journey for so many. We got to experience the highs and the lows, like so many people glued to their television over the weeks. We just got to experience in person. The buzz, the laughter, the crowds, the host country. What an amazing memory , that I know will never be topped by another.
These coming few weeks I will be going through all the photos of our trip, and I am sure I will be rushed with emotions.I will remember the laughter and the feeling of that time and place. I will remember the London Eye, The Tower of London, The London Aquarium, The Tower Bridge proudly displaying the Olympic rings. I will remember the dinner with good friends, and the walk along the South Bank. All the faces in wax at Madam Tassuad's. The sights and sounds of Great Britain , our mother country. I will remember the feeling I felt about taking a picture with my daughter at Piccadilly Circus, a place my grandmother took a candid snapshot 30 years ago. It felt great to bridge the generation gap. I felt at home in the UK and would love to go back again!
Our friend Herve made our trip to Paris unforgettable! We crammed 5 days of places into two and couldn't have done it without him. He guided us on and off the Metro. He translated for us, in places we surely would have gotten lost. Herve bonded with our crazy kids, even though he didn't have children and was raised an only child. It had to be a culture shock for him. He showed us the beauty of his city. I respect the French for preserving their history instead of knocking it down for a new building. Paris was architecturally amazing. I got to kiss my husband on the top of the Eiffel Tower while our daughter took pictures and grinned like a fool. We got to see the beauty of the Mona Lisa. The towers of Notre Dame where gorgeous, and the Louvre was amazing.The history behind the Arc is amazing. The Paris Aquarium did not disappoint us, and the food was wonderful. Paris will always hold memories for us.
This trip allowed us to experience sights and sounds of countries we could only dream of. Thank you to all those involved in this journey, thank you for this honour.Thank you Lord.
