Racing Towards The Finish Line

September 19, 2013

Racing Towards The Finish Line

A week ago, a large group of students and parents gathered at a local school for the first competitive Cross Country run of the year.

Both of our boys have demonstrated some skill in cross country running so we loaded up the car with our kid and one extra and headed over to the race.

We've been to this race for a few years already. And, as luck would have it, the weather was sweet - the sky was clear blue, the sun was warm, the wind was on the calm side.

The competition has changed a tad - when we first started taking our son to this race, it included all of the school divisions in the city and there were HUNDREDS of kids there to compete. They lined up the Atom boys/girls, Peewee boys/girls....all sorts of age groups one by one....and at the sound of the starter gun, a veritable herd of kids headed off across the football field, across the street and through the park, shoes flying off, elbows out, serious expressions. Must. Run. This. Race. Well.

This year, the separate school division didn't join us. The race was a lot calmer. And as we looked around the field, we saw a lot of familiar faces - parents from the band trip last spring, music students, youth group friends. It's nice to be in a friendly place.

Mr. B. ran his race and did his best. He has fine form.

Doesn't he?!!

But his defining moment came when his friend raced. Being senior students on the field, his friend's race was last. Parents were going home. Kids were dispersing. And this oldest group of boys had some fast runners in it. It was probably the quickest race of the day. Before we had time to engage in another conversation, the first runners were heading home already. The finish line is always lined with coaches, parents, students cheering on runners from their schools. I always get a lump in my throat as I hear the encouragement and see the delight on both runners' and spectators faces when another one makes it across the line. GOOD JOB! We're proud of you!! Wow, are you ever good at running!

Mr. B.'s friend, well, we've known him for a couple years. Nice kid. He's gained a little weight and hasn't stretched into it yet as Grade 7 boys are wont to do. He's not the fittest kid on the block and certainly wasn't the fittest kid at the Meet.

Mr. B: "He's not going to do well, Mom."

Me: "That's okay; he's going to do his best."

The runners started coming one by one. Sprinting towards the finish line.

And no sign of the friend.

People started to pack up their things.

And no sign of the friend.

We waited by the finish line, looking through the trees in the park. "Is that him?" we asked each other. "No, not yet".

Finally, after it appeared that everyone else had crossed the finish line, we caught a glimpse of yellow through the autumn trees.

He was finally coming.

Mr. B. looked at me and said these words that changed my heart forever....

"I think I should go run with him, Mom."

Through leaky eyes, I nodded..."yes, I think that would be nice."

And Mr. B. ran away from me and towards this young man who was going to cross the finish line well after everyone else had finished. He would no longer have to cross the finish line alone.

His friend would cross the line with him.

And they ran, side by side, to the end of the race. Their arms pumped and their legs worked and their lungs panted for a fresh breath and smiles plastered their faces. and we cheered and applauded and my heart burst with joy that my son knew that being last sometimes sucks and being alone sometimes sucks and having someone with you can make all the difference in how you finish a race. And I wonder how many 'races' are being run around me by people that I love and how often it feels like we're losing the race and I suspect that all we really need, all we really want, is someone to come alongside us and help us cross the finish line.