This morning I sit on my deck with a calm breeze rustling through the surrounding trees feeling extremely sentimental. This week as felt like a closing ceremonies to many things in my life, and today I am quite certain will be my last day attending the Silverdale YSA ward for church. Also, Yet again, most of my friends are getting married in coming months- many this month in fact. It seems once again like my life is passing away, just as Jacob said in the Book of Mormon- "like unto a dream" skipping ahead to parts unforeseen.
I know a new and great adventure lies before me, and I am excited to see what life brings me, but I must allow myself a "Closing Ceremonies" moment or two to remember what I have learned from all this. That, for now, I will keep to myself. But yesterday I had the opportunity to ride home from the temple with a friend who loves the Olympics as much as I do. Such people are difficult to find.
It reminded me that I was going to write you about when all this madness began. You know about the towel I got in 84', I know that I watched the 88' games with my mom, but I don't actually remember anything from those games, I was only six at the time, so that makes sense. My first Olympics that I remember falling in absolute love with was the 1992 Olympics. Probably more the Summer games in Barcelona, Spain but also the winter games in Albertville, France.
I still get goose bumps if you mention the names from either of those games, Bonnie Blair, Kristy Yamaguchi, Alberto Tomba, Dan Jansen, Madori Ito, from the Winter Games. Vitali Scherbo, Shannon Miller, Kim Zmeskel, The Dream Team (the original and only real dream team in my opinion), Tatyana Gutsu and the Unified team ( the team of most of the former Soviet Union that had just colapsed) and the Lithuanian basketball team. Alexander Popov, and Trent Dimas, Poblo Morales, Matt Biondi, Jenny Thompson, Summer Saunders, Janet Evens. I could go on for hours, but I should stop there.
The most memorable Cauldron lighting for me, was also 1992, Spain when an Archer shot a flaming arrow at the cauldron to ignite it. I loved when Ali lit it in 1996,because who he was and what it symbolized, but I have never forgotten that nameless archer and the flame that started that year in my heart. 1996 was another great Olympics and I will talk about that, I am sure, another time, but whether in our normal life or the Olympic games, after the closing ceremonies we remember these things because the Power of the Dream that is our ability to become great people, and gain greater abilities than our own in life. Celine Dion sang a song at the 1996 Olympics that I think says it all for me. Please watch the attached video, and don't forget to "realize the power of the dream" in your life as it "passes away as it were like unto a dream" Never forgetting the past you build on, but never forgetting to build the dreams and greatness of the present and future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkiyVpS3M4
The Power Of The Dream lyrics
vs 1
Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man
The strength of just I can
Has brought together people of all nations
There's nothing ordinary in the living of each day
There's a special part every one of us will play
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart
You'll find your fate is all your own creation
And every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration
Chorus:
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
vs 2
There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can
The power of the dream
Faith in things unseen
Courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
Reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream
I know a new and great adventure lies before me, and I am excited to see what life brings me, but I must allow myself a "Closing Ceremonies" moment or two to remember what I have learned from all this. That, for now, I will keep to myself. But yesterday I had the opportunity to ride home from the temple with a friend who loves the Olympics as much as I do. Such people are difficult to find.
It reminded me that I was going to write you about when all this madness began. You know about the towel I got in 84', I know that I watched the 88' games with my mom, but I don't actually remember anything from those games, I was only six at the time, so that makes sense. My first Olympics that I remember falling in absolute love with was the 1992 Olympics. Probably more the Summer games in Barcelona, Spain but also the winter games in Albertville, France.
I still get goose bumps if you mention the names from either of those games, Bonnie Blair, Kristy Yamaguchi, Alberto Tomba, Dan Jansen, Madori Ito, from the Winter Games. Vitali Scherbo, Shannon Miller, Kim Zmeskel, The Dream Team (the original and only real dream team in my opinion), Tatyana Gutsu and the Unified team ( the team of most of the former Soviet Union that had just colapsed) and the Lithuanian basketball team. Alexander Popov, and Trent Dimas, Poblo Morales, Matt Biondi, Jenny Thompson, Summer Saunders, Janet Evens. I could go on for hours, but I should stop there.
The most memorable Cauldron lighting for me, was also 1992, Spain when an Archer shot a flaming arrow at the cauldron to ignite it. I loved when Ali lit it in 1996,because who he was and what it symbolized, but I have never forgotten that nameless archer and the flame that started that year in my heart. 1996 was another great Olympics and I will talk about that, I am sure, another time, but whether in our normal life or the Olympic games, after the closing ceremonies we remember these things because the Power of the Dream that is our ability to become great people, and gain greater abilities than our own in life. Celine Dion sang a song at the 1996 Olympics that I think says it all for me. Please watch the attached video, and don't forget to "realize the power of the dream" in your life as it "passes away as it were like unto a dream" Never forgetting the past you build on, but never forgetting to build the dreams and greatness of the present and future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkiyVpS3M4
The Power Of The Dream lyrics
vs 1
Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man
The strength of just I can
Has brought together people of all nations
There's nothing ordinary in the living of each day
There's a special part every one of us will play
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart
You'll find your fate is all your own creation
And every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration
Chorus:
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
vs 2
There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can
The power of the dream
Faith in things unseen
Courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
Reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream
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