A lot has been happening around the Pickard place recently and I've got to say its been crazy. With season I was traveling pretty much every weekend, so staying on top of school and homework, and still trying to be a good wifey was quite the load. Sad to say however, my season is now over. Not only is my season over, but my whole gymnastics career.
I know it may not seem like that big of a deal to everyone else, but to me the fact that I'm done is daunting. For the past 16 years of my life I've had the commitment of gymnastics, and in a lot of ways it has defined me. Whether I liked that or not, it was the truth. The sport definitely hasn't always been kind to me, but it was always definitely worth it. In one of the harder times of gym, I wrote the following letter to myself that I think will sum up a lot of the feelings I will have forever of gymnastics.
Dear Me-
Just wanted to take a second to remind you why you do what you do. I hope you will read this letter on days when you are aren’t feeling quite up to par and need a little encouragement. Because after all, who better to motivate you, then yourself.
What you do on a daily basis is incredible crazy. It is cripplingly challenging, painfully perfectionistic, and nearly next to impossible. But that is why you love it. Who would want to do something that everyone else and their dog can do? That’s right, NOBODY! You love this sport because of the challenge.
Gymnastics has not always been kind to you, but it wouldn’t have been worth it if it had. It has bruised you, broken you, and torn you apart. Some might have given up and let defeat sink in; not you. You have looked those trials square in the eye and dared them to keep you back. That is what makes this sport so fun to you. You face impossibilities and turn them not only into possibilities, but make them your reality.
You always claim that gymnastics does not define you, however in a way, it clearly has. It has shaped the woman you have become in life and I would say it has changed you for the better. So many things have been learned through this sport and you owe it to gymnastics to give it your all. I hope you never disgrace your sport by not giving a full effort, or taking your opportunities for granted.
Gymnastics has done so much for you, the least you can do is love it back. Go out there every single day and prove that you deserve to do it. Prove to gymnastics that you’ve got what it takes and that you wont take no for an answer. In the words of vanilla ice, “any less than the best is a felony”. I hope you promise to yourself that you will never ever have a bad day because you weren’t trying. Not trying is simply not an option.
Lastly, I hope you remember how fun this sport is. You have the opportunity to PLAY gymnastics with your best friends every day! When this is all said and done and finished, you wont remember your good days or your bad days. You wont remember the times when you got 9.9’s or the times you got 9.5’s. What you will remember is how much fun you had.
This experience is not going to last much longer. So my final sum of advice Natalie, is simply to do what you love, and love what you do. No matter what. This is going to be something you look back on your life and remember as a gem, so why not make it sparkle as bright as possible. You Can Do This, because you love this sport way past the point of pain, past the point of disappointment and sorrow, you love this sport enough to give 100% every day no matter what. This is what you were born to do, so go out and do it!
Okay so my letter might be a little cheesy, but I'm a sucker for the cheese. That letter was hanging in my locker and I would read it every day before practice... :( Okay okay, moving on. So this chapter is now over in my life and it is definitely bitter sweet (80% bitter, 20% sweet at the moment). So to reminisce about my career I have some pictures. Its my blog and I can do what I want with it haha.
Once a goober, always a goober.
Me with my Great Grandma Lasca... She was an incredible lady!
And the injuries begin...
hahahaha
These are from my senior meet (thanks for the pictures whit) and from regionals.
The whole crew... thanks for all the support guys. Couldn't have done it without you!
My swollen cry-eyes
Granny and Me :)
Ashley and I have been the best of friends forever!
So today I dubbed "Crazy Trick Monday" and the challenge for today was to go in for my last day of gymnastics and do whatever skills I wanted to. Up until this point, you have coaches telling you what skills are going to be best and whatnot so I wanted to chuck some of my old skills, some new skills, and some made-up skills. I put them in this video and invite you to watch and laugh at my ridiculousness. Oh and in case you are wondering, yes that is my girlish scream you are hearing over and over again.
Well, hope you got a good laugh out of some of my failed attempts. I hope everyone out there has the chance to fall in love with something as much as I loved gymnastics. I really feel like having a passion and drive for something is vital to your well-being. Putting in the hard work it takes to make something great is what sculpts you into the person you are meant to become. So get out there, and find your purpose!
