Special Olympics

Today I was able to have the honor of volunteering at the Special Olympics in Kellogg Id.  I was so looking forward to helping at the snowshoeing event.  I was going to be outside. In the snow.  In  the Sun.  With Snowshoes. I was ready.  With long underwear, polypro, smart wool socks and awesome winter boots Bring on the cold. 
We got to Kellogg and found out that we were going to be inside in a gym instead :(  I was going to keep score of floor hockey!  Awesome.  One of the ladies came over and told me what to look for, and who was a U, (unimpaired player I think that is what it meat.) and how to keep score.  It was going to be the best of 2 out of 3.  The teams were Coeur d' Alene and Lewiston.
I was so excited! Just watching these players play is so insperational.  If one player falls, or trips from the other team, the opposing team member closet goes over to help him up with a smile on his face.  The cheer for each other while they are playing the game.  They never complain when they are subbed out. And the cheer when the other scores!!!
It was great.
The first game was 8-1 with CDA loosing.  They played hard, and you could see that they were a little down. the coaches were reeving them up in the 10 minute break between games and you could just see the energy flow back into them.
The second game was phonominal.The CDA team came out strong and fierce and got the first goal.  But then Lewiston came back and it was tied. The game continued this way and was tied until  the last 10 seconds.I lost my voice cheering for both teams, it was so exciting.  I was hoping the CDA would win and they would have to play one more game but Lewiston came and chuck the puck in right as the Buzzer sounded.  You would have thought that you were at a Gonzaga basketball game with how loud the cheers were.  But it was from both teams!
CDA was so happy that they had such a good game, it was  as if they won.  And Lewiston was really excited because last year they had lost. When it came time for the 'good game' the team lined up and gave each other their high 5's and all were ready for lunch.
After picking up the court, and putting thing away I walked in the lunch room and the two teams were eating together, smiling, and laughing.  It was so great to see.  At least a dozen or so players came up to me and shook my hand, said 'Thank You', and asked me to eat lunch.  I couldn't stay but watching the interaction between the two teams, and just made my day.
The Special Olympics are such a great event. The people that participate are so friendly, They don't have any meanness in them.  Every time I am at an event like this it makes me realize how lucky I am.  Not just the fact that I don't have any serious disabilities in my life, but that these individuals remind me of what kindness looks like in it's purest form.
So I thank you.
The Olympians,of  Coeur d' Alene and Kellogg for sharing your gift with me.