The Highland Games
PHOTO: Shayne competes in the International Highland Games Competition, 2001). In 2001, Shayne discovered a new type of athletic competition - competing in a wide variety of events in a highland games competition. Being the only competitor without a kilt, we were quite surprised that first year when he actually qualified for the real event after demonstrating some of his "skill". (Then a fellow competitor gave him an extra kilt to borrow!) During the next year, he bought a kilt of his very own and he entered again in 2002, shortly before Christi was diagnosed. Of course that changed most everything in our lives and obviously put an end to Shayne's Highland Competitions. Well, all year he's teased, "I'm making a come back at the Highland Games as a 40 year old". What do you think? Well, good luck, this weekend, Shayne!! You never ceases to amaze me!
(PHOTO: An Oldie But Goodie - The mad artists, running from their work. 2001: Christi 4, Shay Shay 2)
posted by the Thomas team @ 5:35 AM
2 Comments:
I absolutely love the picture of Shayla and Christi!! Soooo cute!
Good luck this weekend, Shayne!
Angela, CONGRATS on the fellowship. You are brilliant!
Love & hugs,
Olivia
Shayne is so sexy! Your entire family is such an inspiration: the way you kept Christi so happy, so fulfilled, and so safe in spite of the cards you were dealt, and now the way you are keeping her memory alive through her foundation, is a testament to the true power of the human spirit. You could have curled up into a ball and nobody would've blamed you for it! You could've become so embittered and nobody would've questioned it! Instead, Angela is pursuing her PhD, Shayne is pursuing his athletic and professional goals, and Shayla is enjoying every bit of being nine years old, as she should! You live just as the saying says, "Don't wait out the storm, learn to dance in the rain." Countless others are inspired by you, every day. I lost my sister and felt like dying, myself. It took me years to recover and understand that grief is like a boulder lodged between my ribs. It will always be there, no matter what. I've learned to breathe with it and, like a muscle that grows to adapt to a weight, my body has learned to exhale and inhale. Sometimes the boulder moves: if I see two sisters together, or a young woman that looks like my own sister did, or during a family event, or just a certain type of weather. And then, I have to learn to breathe all over again. But I do learn. I have to.
Your family is so special and rare. Marriages dissolve with the loss of a child and addiction and depression are understandable responses. Somehow, you have kept afloat. More than that, you've all managed to thrive just as Christi would want you to. Such a loving child would never want to see her parents and sister suffering. People say things like that, and we know it's true, but quite honestly, it's very difficult to feel joy and grief at the same time. You are helping so many of us to live well and "learn to dance in the rain." Thank you.
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