Moving Forward

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we are curious and curosity keeps leading us down new paths.- Walt Disney

Moving forward is just a part of life, and writing about the subject just seems apporopiate after a week like this. This week seniors walked across stages to recieve diplomas marking the completion of their high school education. This is the type of moving on that is easy to do. It’s happy and it represents the years of effort that took place prior. Sadly, there were also a number of individuals who will be moving on this week after the loss of a tough game. Their years of dedication to their sport didn’t culminate in the manner they would of wished, but both groups of individuals move on. However, easy or difficult it is to move on, moving on will continue to happen as long as there is a heart beat in your chest.

Moving on isn’t suppose to be easy, moving on requires growth and growth requires change. Just as you move from grade to grade until you graduate, the way you grow changes and develops along the way. Thinking back to the quote by Walt Disney, “…and curosity keeps leading us down new paths.” just stuck with me. Curosity is how I got to where I am today. I explored the avenue of possibly being a physical therapist, and through that discovered I loved Athletic Training. Took my first job working two schools as an outreach ATC, then I was ready and curious as to what I could find, which lead me to my current job. Once again curosity lead me to seek a job that was through a school district and incorporated teaching. I saw from my co-worker what all it intailed, the challenges, negative and positive, and the change. The more my curosity peaked the more I pursured new paths which lead to a Master’s degree and another new job. My curiosity led me down the paths and opened the doors that eventually led to change. Change I wasn’t sure of, but I knew I would of always wonder, and so I moved forward.

I have to admit it really wasn’t until the end of the soccer game on Friday, that I really let myself soak in the fact that this was the end. I had to drive back to Siloam for one more event, and then it was the end. I stood there listening to Coach Shoemaker, proably more so than the boys, and even he brought up the fact of moving on. “Regardless what happens good or bad you have to move on”. Coach Shoemaker, told his team that one moment does not define you, the outcome of their game did not cause the town of Siloam to love them any less. While I know Coach was talking to his soccer boys, it was realvent for me as well. I accepted that no matter what choice I made those who loved me in Siloam would still love and support me in my choice to go to Lakeside.

While I tried to keep back tears, and was mostly successful, I took the time to enjoy taking care of my soccer team one last time. Even it was just handing out cups of water and ice towels after the game. I then decided to enjoy being on the sidelines on more time, I intentionally took the visiting sideline, cause I knew if I ever walked back into that stadium for a football game that is where I would be. I choose to enjoy watching my team play one more time, I choose to enjoy the sideline converstaion. Recognizing the once awkward, gangly athletes are now ATHLETES, recognizing with the boys it was my last game and just taking it all in. I then choose to spend a little extra time enjoying the training room after a game. The in and out of players, making ice bags, cutting off tape, and chit chat with coaches. At the end of the night I was ready to move on, I was ready to let myself move on, and I was ready to enjoy the “moving forward” process.

There are still struggles with moving forward, especially since my house is still on the market. The actual physical process of moving, the decisions of moving as a family, or I move down by myself while Caleb stays behind until the house sells. The back and forth as I prepare to start the new year with a new co-worker, and already working together to make some needed changes. There is no denying I am moving forward, and I am learning to enjoy the process.