8 Ways Being Into Cross Country Growing Up Makes You A Great Mom
byJennifer Germano
Cross country was one of my favorite sports (next to soccer) growing up. I ran for three years in middle school and even placed ninth in my respective county, in seventh grade. While I was proud of all of my accomplishments, the lessons I learned from this sport, as well as the friendships I formed from running with other individuals, were invaluable. To this day, they stick with me and have helped shape who I am, which is why the fact that being into cross country has helped make me a better mom is, of course, no surprise. I can't deny that I'm a better person thanks to the lessons I learned. Lessons that, thankfully, I can one day pass down to my daughter.
In cross country, I was never the top runner, especially at the first meet of the season and no matter how well I had been doing in practice. However, I was never the last runner, either. More often than not, I was somewhere in the middle. One day, to my surprise and when I decided I wanted to be at the top, I made the choice to work harder and find my groove and make my practice actually pay off in a way I could be personally proud of. In the pursuit of my goal, I learned so many lessons that, to my surprise, have aided me in being the best mother I can be to my little girl. It's funny how motherhood works; it's usually the little things that carry you through and arm you with the tools to tackle the big things.
When you want something badly enough, you are willing to go after it no matter what it takes. The path may not always be the easiest, to be sure, but you will learn many lessons along the way that will not only help you achieve your dream, but will also stick with you and shape you if you let them. Cross country gave me that perspective, and I'm so thankful that it's aided me in being a mom, in the following ways: