vendredi, février 26, 2010

Heart of a nation, heart of the world

You don't have to have an American on the podium to be proud.

That's one of the lessons of the figure skating competition, which was really all about heart.

A heart that, tragically, gave out before one mother saw her daughter's Olympic prize-winning dance.

The heart to display technical skill and dramatic fireworks beyond the South Korean champion's apparent wildest expectation.

The heart to skate after a performance that left the audience on its feet, the ice brimming with stuffed animals, and your competitor pretty sure of the gold medal.

And then, of course, the heart of a grieving daughter, who somewhere found the inner strength and profound bravery to turn her tears into something beautiful for all of those who watched.

One of whom, I can't help but believe, was one proud mom.