So I have been going through a very rough patch in my life and yes my memories get me through these times. Today I sat thinking how the heck am I doing this then I remembered puss.
yes my karate kid. And well todays memory reminded me of just get up and keep going.
you see as I said I traveled with her to compete. This time we had to go to New Orleans. She didn’t have sponsors at this time and her coach and I had fund raiser’s to help with the cost. Her brothers and sister helped me fix up old furniture and sell it. They sold golf balls and lemonade. They mowed lawns raked leaves and I took up some house cleaning jobs also. It was a family event. The kids and I pulled together to make this dream of hers happen. And we did it!! With hard work.
While we did all of this she trained every waking moment. We held bags for her helped her stretched out. I was even knocked out once. But that’s another story.
her and I got dropped off at the airport she was so excited and nervous. She asked me what if she didn’t win. Her brothers and sister and I had worked so hard for her to have this moment. I told her just do your best. She looked at me and said I promise to work as hard as all of us, and make us proud and that this win was for all of us. I told her we were already proud. But as all kids do she sighed and rolled her eyes.
I knew she was scared. So I asked her how do you eat an elephant. She looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled and asked for an answer. She said she didn’t know. I told her the same way you do everything in life. One bite at a time. So let’s get there bite one. She laughed and smiled and said ok let’s do this. But if she didn’t win she would quit karate and work everyday to pay us all back.
I told her that was a big bite. Head phones went in and I was ignored. Well as luck would have it our flight was delayed. Haha 😂 the way of our life. She cried. I told her bite one.
we we were supposed to get there in the afternoon we didn’t get in till 12:30 at night. She looked at me and said ok bite one now what. I’m tired and I compete in the morning.
I told her well we get ready for our next bite. We get to our hotel.
That was a two hour drive and GPS did not exist back then. so we got our car and off to the hotel. We got there bite two complete. It was now almost 3am and her Gi had to be ironed to remove travel wrinkles. I told her to sleep we had to be up in two hours to get to the place I would iron. She smiled and said mom your tired I told Her I would be fine. As all mothers do. At least I hope.
the next morning she was sooooo tired she was 14 and had two and a half hours sleep. We got ready and drove another hour and a half because this mom is horrible with direction. But I got her there that’s what’s important
I got her some breakfast she just looked at me, I told her to eat. I would be fine. She ate and then slept on the bleachers as well she could. The excitement and nerves were not her friend that day.
I woke her up so she could get ready and call her coach. She came back and asked if I had any advice. I asked did you train as hard as you could? She said yes. Then I said well then go and show them who’s house this is. She went and did whatever it is she had to do, and came back with tears in her eyes. I asked what was wrong? There was only two people in her division and she was bumped up to the next age division.
Well as any parent knows this is that moment when you have to put on your poker face. I told her it didn’t matter. She looked at me again. I asked her what was the big deal. She said huge they are two years older than her. I smiled and said yes but did they have as many people believe in them as she did? She said yes. “Little butthead” I told her to go take a moment to herself and calm down.
When she got back she said mom let’s go win this. I smiled that’s my girl. I pulled out my friends video camera and said I’m right here let’s go kick this elephants butt.
there were 15 girls in this division and she was doing just kata today kumata was the next. She stood tall in line and was the first one in line of 15 girls and if you know anything about karate that’s not good she looked at me I smiled at her and shrugged They called her name. It was time. I knew she was sooo tired and all I could was pray.
she walked out in front of about 3,000 people watching and she started.
she was about 1/4 of the way through and……. She feel flat on her butt. I was ready for the tears and for complete melt down. But it didn’t happen…. She jumped right back up and continued right were she was not missing a beat. She finished her kata. She bowed out and took her place.
She knew she had lost I knew she had lost.neither one of us kept track of the scores because of it. When they were all done She stood with all the other girl and waited for the judging. The judges had a meeting then stood in front of the girls and called second place which is odd. They normally start with third place. then they call third. They called puss’s name her mouth dropped my mouth dropped. We look at each other and she took a minute to register then took her place up on the box for third place then they announced first and then gave the others their participation medals. When they all bowed she jumped off the box and ran and jumped in my arms and yelled I kicked that elephants butt momma.
I almost fell over but I was smiling as big as she was. The judges came over to her they all asked her name and shook her hand. They told her that because she just GOT BACK UP and kept going without missing a beat she amazed them. it was not something most adults could do. The one judge asked if she was completing the next day. She smiled and said yes. The next day was much easier we’ll rested feed and a very happy little girl from the day before. She took first place yup still out of 15 other girls two years older.
years to come she was with a friend in a camera shop with photos on the walls. She was waiting for her friend to finish and noticed a picture on the wall. She looked close at it. She asked the man behind the counter if that photo was taken in New Orleans. He said yes and noticed the picture she was looking at. He told her the story of this little girl that just got back up. She smiled and was ready to leave when he recognized her. YOUR HER!!! Her friend looked at her then the picture. She smiled at the man and said yes that is me. The man came around the counter and hugged her sooo hard. You inspired my life that day.
You didn’t falter you just got back up. She told him thank you. He looked at her again in her uniform.
I have always wondered what became of you. She smile and said I’m in the army. He looked at her friend and smiled he then gave her friend the large picture he was having made for his mother and told him it was on the house. And this was his way of paying it back to puss.
that day of the tournament he was about to lose his shop his house he was going through a divorce and was wondering how he was going to make it. Then he lost his house and his shop but he always remember the little girl that just GOT BACK UP. He now had two shops and a new house.
so when you think you can’t you can just get back up and keep going. My daughter called me that night to tell me the story. Yes I cried. We had always thought that was our family’s memory. But now we all know that you may not get first place but you can still influence someone’s life. Even at 14. Or when your are at the lowest time of your life. No matter how tired you are just GET BACK UP!! ♥️
