Sunday, July 23, 2006

What Tiger's Success Means to Me

Many may not know this about me, but I'm a huge golf fan. I spend HOURS on the weekends glued to my TV and the Internet, watching golf and checking standings. Like a good baseball game, especially baseball games watched during my childhood, golf is finesse at its finest. It's those small, delicate movements or hits that make the most magic.

Well, today I experienced my most favorite golf moment ever: Tiger winning the British Open. It truly reminded me of what can be accomplished if we persevere and overcome tragedy. We all know that Tiger lost his father and mentor to cancer in May of this year and that for the first time in his career, he did not make the final cut of a tourney, the U.S. Open. though I for one challenge anyone to play well a month after his/her father dies and during Father's Day weekend no less.

Despite the tragic loss of his father, despite the first real blemish to his playing career, Tiger came back and showed everyone why he is the best player in golf. When he put the ball in the 18th hole for a par and the win, his reaction was what we all expected: jubilation as he pumped his fist in the air and devastation as he cried and clung to his longtime caddy because he wished for his father to be there with him.

It is that moment that I broke; I cried, too. A big chunk of my emotion went to Tiger because I'd been steadily pulling for him for the last several months, but the other chunk of that emotion was personal. I realized a lot of things from Tiger's play today. I realized that I don't say I love you enough to my mom, who is the most wonderful person in the world. I realized that I still love my father despite what he's done to our family. I realized that my grandparents are still here with me, pulling me through my down times and cheering me on when I succeed; death does not end the connections. I realized that one can succeed despite the pain of tragedy and even though these are things I've thought about before and try to keep close to me, it's good to be reminded of those things from time to time.

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