My mother had a little sign in her consultation room (that doubled up as my bedroom). It hangs there still, many years after her death, and each time I see it I remember her philosophy. Hand painted, blue letters on a white board proclaim, "Miracles happen". I have always believed in miracles and am ever delighted when I see them unfolding around me. Not the phenomena couched in mysterious, religious or philosophical explanations, but in those down to earth situations that call for determination, faith and the sensing of an inner purpose.
Sport is one of the most direct and dramatic ways to see some of these extraordinary achievements- the result of people who use their gifts, with the necessary focus and intuition to attain something previously unreached. The recent Champions League football match (Barcelona vs Paris Saint- Germaine) was one such event. In a way it was more exciting than watching a solo performance for it was a team effort, with both teams playing at full strength. Individuals certainly helped but the game went beyond big names. Fortuitous events did occur, but they did not dominate in any way. It was the effort of a team fighting for everything, with no time to spare (without the luxury of extra time), willing to convert every move into an opportunity and believing in themselves until the end.
Many people have described it better than me; the New York Times had a write up which summed up the situation and game wonderfully (if one ignores a stray reference to the American Super Bowl, possibly thrown in to woo their local readers). Here is a link-
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/sports/soccer/champions-league-fc-barcelona-paris-saint-germain.html
Here is another link to some highlights leading to that soaring, giddy feeling of having achieved the (almost) impossible - a flying finish that is just the beginning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSJvuyfNNhc
Sport is one of the most direct and dramatic ways to see some of these extraordinary achievements- the result of people who use their gifts, with the necessary focus and intuition to attain something previously unreached. The recent Champions League football match (Barcelona vs Paris Saint- Germaine) was one such event. In a way it was more exciting than watching a solo performance for it was a team effort, with both teams playing at full strength. Individuals certainly helped but the game went beyond big names. Fortuitous events did occur, but they did not dominate in any way. It was the effort of a team fighting for everything, with no time to spare (without the luxury of extra time), willing to convert every move into an opportunity and believing in themselves until the end.
Many people have described it better than me; the New York Times had a write up which summed up the situation and game wonderfully (if one ignores a stray reference to the American Super Bowl, possibly thrown in to woo their local readers). Here is a link-
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/sports/soccer/champions-league-fc-barcelona-paris-saint-germain.html
Here is another link to some highlights leading to that soaring, giddy feeling of having achieved the (almost) impossible - a flying finish that is just the beginning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSJvuyfNNhc
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