I dashed through high winds and zigzagged between the parked station wagons, Pintos, and VW Bugs, in the pursuit of a runaway cart in the grocery store parking lot.
The cart sped through the crowded parking lot and toward an intersection, attempting to mar the glossy finishes of luxury SUVs and sports cars.
And then I knew what I must do. The situation at hand had left me little choice.
I knelt down and tightened the laces on my Brooks running shoes, thankful I wasn’t wearing flip flops today.
Then, with the speed of a cheetah and the grace of a gazelle, I took off across the parking lot after the shopping cart.
My heart pounded. Would I be fast enough?
Finally, I reached for the shopping cart handle just seconds before what would have been a disastrous situation. I wiped the sweat from my brow. Another rogue cart apprehended in the name of justice!
I returned to our SUV, climbed in, and glanced into the back seat. My kids appeared in shock with mouths wide open. “Mom!” Doodle gasped. “You were amazing. You should be in the Olympics – the Mom Olympics!”
So, as of that day a few years back, I began training for the Mom Olympics. An arduous task for sure. And yes, I need a bit of help on my hurdles. Case in point: when my girls were babies, I had a wooden gate up to keep them out of my home office. One day, in my haste to get out of the room quickly, my foot caught on the top of the gate, and I landed with a thud, the air knocked completely out of me. Never have I been so thankful for these strong bones God blessed me with.
But I was not deterred. In time and with much practice, my hurdling became second nature and I was soon able to leap across toys left strewn on the floor in a single bound (Super Mom anyone?)
I closed my eyes and imagined my future self…
So when the application for the Mom Olympics arrived in the mail, I quickly listed my qualifications, beginning with past accomplishments:
- Carrying my children everywhere when they were younger (which built strong biceps and triceps)
- Bending and stooping to pick up the toys and food my children continually threw on the floor from their high chairs when they were babies (which built strong quad muscles)
- Amazing overall body fitness from pushing my two children in the baby jogger up grueling hills
- Dexterity and balance in hopping on one foot (in agony) whenever I stepped on a Lego or fossilized Cheerio left on the floor
- The runaway cart episode, showing my aptitude for speed and finesse and the ability to react in stressful situations.
In the “current accomplishments” category, I proudly listed the highlights of the second phase of my training:
- Totally built biceps and shoulder muscles from constantly lifting and hauling the gym bag that my kids and I share for the local gym
- Running the kids everywhere for their activities during their tween and early teen years (built endurance as a long-distance runner)
- Experience in juggling (juggling multiple tasks as a wife and mom)
- A friendly competition with my oldest daughter (who is a force to be reckoned with) on the rowing machine
- A friendly competition with my youngest daughter while running (I came in second place)
With all that practice, it didn’t take much creativity to imagine myself in an Olympic marathon. I would be competing against the fiercest of competitors, knowing that it was just a matter of time before the gold medal graced my neck.
Someday, although I’m not rushing this…I will be a grandma training for the Grandma Olympics. Until then, I am thrilled to have been approved by the Mom Olympics CEO to participate in this year’s worldwide event.
To my fellow moms who have/had a collection of shirts adorned with dried spit-up stains; who’ve won awards for the least amount of sleep while promising their infants a trip to Disneyland if they would just sleep for more than a half hour at a time; who daily risk tender toes stepping on Legos and Cheerios.
To my fellow moms who’ve spent hours upon hours on their knees praying for their kids (and still do!); to those who’ve survived the tumultuous teenage years; and to those who’ve risked their lives teaching their children how to drive.
To stay-at-home-moms, homeschool moms, work-at-home-moms, work-outside-the-home moms, foster care moms…to all moms…Happy Mother’s Day!
Being a mom is truly the best job in the world, and I’m beyond grateful God blessed me with this honor. And I’m grateful for a faithful mom who exemplified the importance of loving her family well, being kind, having a strong work ethic, and loving the Lord with all her heart. Thank you, Mom!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Before you go, check out these other posts:
7 ways to encourage your children
13 verses to comfort the weary soul
21 awesome family movies you may never have heard of
6 ways to stick with homeschooling (when you want to give up)
Penny Zeller 
6 thoughts on “training for the mom Olympics”