The Race

We glanced at the large clock mounted above the finish line - 26 minutes.

"She is on her way," I commented to the tall man standing next to me.

 "Keep your eyes open.”

We watched as the sky darkened that much more.  Rain drops continued falling, perhaps a bit harder than they were before.

Runners continued to speed by as the clock continued to tick.  My daughter did not appear.  My heart beat a little faster as I became slightly concerned.  Three thousand people were running this race; and, this was the first race my daughter was running without a partner.

Her personal best time came and went setting my heart beating just a tad faster.  This fast and flat course posed no challenge.  Where was my kid??

My tall friend's wife and daughter ran by; my kid was not with them…

Rain continued to fall.  Runners continued to pass my spot.  I continued to wait.

"She is here," a voice calls from the finish line.

The Diva sees me and gives me a very wet and sweaty hug.  "27.25!!”  She says with a smile and a thrill of joy.  She beat her personal record by over one minute.  She ran by our spot at the finish line three minutes before  the friends we saw.  She took third in her  age group and felt the excitement of running with world class runners.  The smile on her face was radiant - brightening the darkening evening.

I gave her the biggest hug ever.  The besting her personal record is wonderful, but the fact that she did her very best and felt that high... that is priceless.