Day 2008 --Special Kid

So, there's this kid on my cross-country team.  He's all kinds of cool, and I'm so thankful that I get to be his coach and his teacher.

Today, he ran incredibly well, and I was proud and awed of his performance.

The best part, however, was when he came through the finish line chute.  It was fenced off, so I was about 30 meters away from him, but I yelled and cheered for him anyway.

The reward for my efforts?  He gave me a huge smile and made a heart with his hands for me.

Later, when the girls raced, one of our runners was struck with an asthma attack mid-race.  I shouted to this young man for help via text message.  Despite already having run a hard race, he sprinted all over the course in an effort to find an inhaler and get it to this young lady.  When I thanked him profusely afterwards, he shrugged it off as no big deal.

Things like that make the extended hours away from my family totally worth it.  After a breathtakingly difficult and exhausting week, I am blessed to have these reminders of why I have chosen to do what I do.

Thank God for this special kid!

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