Anniversary at Olympia

A personal journey in this entry. Today, Aug 30, is our 44th wedding anniversary. I'm proud to say that. The greatest thing Joy and I were blessed with was our kids, Nicole and Daniel. . I wrote in A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp that I saw the best version of my kids when they showered their Nan with love in her final months, but seeing them now as adults, and especially Nicole a mom, makes a parent proud. 

The newest joy in our life is Nicole's daughter, and our granddaughter, Mia Lillian Mayes. People who are grandparents know this but the instant Mia came into the world our appreciation of life, and love, changed. I now see Nicole as a beautiful mother and Mia as the beacon for what the future will bring.


Part of your journey, of course, involved many years at Olympia, and there's a typical coaching connection to our anniversary. I was a week nine coach and our anniversary fell during week nine. I missed 6 anniversaries as I had to work camp and bide my time till a cabin opened up on Coach's Row. Yes, we did something on the Saturday when I got home but I remember a couple of years being so tired from a week at Interlaken ! You know, all the hours on the court!

Eventually I did get a family cabin and I got to watch my kids basically grow up at camp. I remember the days of diapers and rubber boots, swims in the shallow end of the A Frame, and them playing games of Manhunt while the adults sat around the fire. Joy had a blast as a "Lady of Leisure " and I was in coaching heaven, with some of my best friends, and for several years my brother Pat. The best part of the Olympia family experience are the people around you. Its great to know that your kids are surrounded by great role models and great people who just happen to coach a sport they love. 

But back to anniversaries. Once I got the family cabin and Joy and the kids came up, we got the chance to celebrate our anniversary at camp. I remember on our 20th I brought some champagne up to the coach's lounge ( sorry Dave) and on our 25th we went on a cruise, an afternoon kayak on OxBow Lake to the cliffs. 

Like many people who have been to Olympia, Joy and I thank Dave Grace for allowing our kids to flourish because of what they gained at Olympia. On an anniversary its common to look back as you look forward, and we're glad that Olympia Sports Camp has been part of the journey. 

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