As I watched the athletes march into the stadium in Beijing, my eyes welled up with tears. I am a proud Canadian and when I see the flag, my heart overflows with gratitude for this magnificent country we call home. But the tears were about something more than that.
The winter games are special to me. With breakneck speeds and death-defying flips, the athletes redefine human accomplishment and raise the bar to the next unbelievable level. Over and over, they make the impossible seem possible.
It makes me wonder — what’s possible for me that may seem impossible?
As I’m writing this, I’m almost giddy with childlike excitement. After many years of putting it off, I finally bought downhill skis, and I’m going out to Blue Mountain this afternoon. I can’t wait for the rush of cold air against my face and the sound of my skis scraping across the ice. Of course, I’ll never be an Olympian, but I can feel like one if I tune into my senses and imagine how I am re-establishing my own personal limits or breaking the odds in my life.
That mindset is possible for all of us. I just think of my mom — for as long as I can remember, she has bundled up in the winter, a nest of fur around her face with only her eyes visible, as we prepare to brave the elements. It’s a challenge we both enjoy; heads down, we mind the ice, clutching each other’s arms for stability as we head out into the wintery blizzard together. When I was a kid, she would pull me in a sled; these days, at 86, a wonder adventure looks more like a walk around the block, but she’s still choosing the challenge, every time.
Whatever your edge, the thrill of meeting it is always there for you. The weather is meant to challenge us, make us stronger and more resilient. Because when we see that life is an adventure, even surviving another Canadian winter can become a true victory.
And as the closing ceremonies marked the end of the winter games, I felt the tears well up again. I wondered what new challenges we’ll be facing in 2026. A CBC report left me with a thread of hope when they said, “It’s in the struggle where we find the meaning.”
- What element of your life needs an extra spark of enthusiasm?
- What seems impossible in your life that may be possible?
- What personal limit do you need to shatter?
Adventurously yours,
