| DEAR TROYETTE, When you dance tonight, dance your best. Dance your hardest. But most of all...dance for me. You say you will, you say you did, but you're wrong. Push through the extra mile. Encourage, don't discourage! Smile, don't complain! Most importantly, look ahead, not behind. When you dance tonight, love your teammates. Love the ones that do well sometimes, love the ones that are always the best. Love the person who gets all of the cheers and compliments. Remember that I love them always, and that you shoud try to love them too. When you dance tonight, remember how blessed you are. You may ache all over, but it will go away. There are people who feel that way their whole lives and there are people who can't even feel. You may get frustrated at seeing another team win, but remember you can see. You may want to cry when someone critiques you harshly, but try to say thank you because you can hear. When you feel excited, when you feel hurt, remember these are the gifts I gave you. They complement each other and that makes life such a fascinating experience! When you dance tonight, remember there are people watching you. That's a scary thought, but it is important! Be careful of how you live, you may be the only Bible some people ever read. People notice when you love instead of hate, when you build others up instead of tearing them down...when you win or lose with grace. Someone you've never even met, may come away learning more from your team about life than about dance. When you dance tonight, be humble. Don't long for the spotlight to be yours. Try to help the person next to you be the best she can be. Don't look for glory...you won't find it. It will come to you when you aren't seeking it. Don't brag. Don't flaunt your talents. Quietly work, think and try to improve. Make yourself perfect before working on your teammates. And this last request...Though it comes last, it is so important! HAVE FUN! In competition its easy to forget why you started dancing in the beginning. Ten years from now it won't be as easy to remember who won or lost, as it will be to remember if you enjoyed yourself. You don't know when you will be able to dance again, so go out there and dance with all the passion and love that I have given you, and LOVE EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT! Love winning because it is easy to love, but recognize that losing makes you become better. Love leaping, kicking, splitting and smiling. All over the world tonight there are people lying in bed dreaming of being able to do those things. When it comes right down to it...that's what really matters...that you CAN do those things. It's not whether you win or lose, it is the fact that you are gifted, skilled and talented, and win or lose, you still will be. So when you dance tonight, remember me. I'll be watching you. So put up a good fight! Dance with all of your heart! I believe that you can give a spectacular performance! I hope that you think so too. Love what you are doing and always remember to laugh! Love, Jesus Christmas 2003 Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting....To children, to the poor, to all who suffer and are lonely, give always a happy smile--Give them not only your care, but also your heart. MOTHER THERESA |