Last night at Relay for Life I was overwhelmed with people’s attitudes towards life and disease and death. So many times throughout the day I heard people use the phrase, “lost the battle” and “lose my mother” and other such phrases. I don’t understand that word in this context.
A few years ago my aunt died from breast cancer. She was buried on my birthday. I do still have both my parents but I do feel I can be somewhat empathetic towards these peoples situations. It wasn’t easy at all when my aunt died. In my lifetime I have watched four people I have been very close to pass on. But I am not mad or angry at the diseases or illnesses that brought them to the end.
When I arrived back at my house on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. My performance had been less than what I had hoped for, less than what I was capable of. We as a Virginia Tech team had just accomplished three huge achievements. It was the best placement for Virginia Tech male triathlon team in a long time. Placing 8th out of eighty male teams was ridiculously better than we had hoped for. We destroyed Naval Academy for the first time in any record of collegiate nationals I can find. Also, as a combined male and female team we placed ninth overall. In every Collegiate nationals result I can find, the girls crush the guys and the girls result gets brought down by the guys. But this year, (represent men!), the dudes scored higher. Oh yeah and we annihilated UVA.