I wanted to say Thank you to my sister Hannah for contributing this great piece. Writing must be a family skill because she has composed such a beautiful, funny, and thoughtful piece.
At first, I didn't want to post this on my blog, but blog's are all about sharing, and I want to share with you my sister's moving words. Thank you so much, Hannah.
(Note - as the owner of this blog, I have given my commentary IN CAPS on Hannah's words)
Rachel’s 100th
BY HANNAH DAWSON
(Couldn’t think of a catchy title)
Walking into practice, I hear the voice of one of my coaches, “Hey did you hear about Rachel?” In my mind I’m running through the list of sisters, Natalie, Sarah, Rachel. Okay so I keep thinking what is so special about Rachel that I didn’t know? Still I am thinking, her birthday isn’t until August; she’s single (ANY INTERESTED TAKERS??), so she’s not engaged or expecting for that matter. Time ran out, my coach’s voice started pouring out with enthusiasm, “She got her 100th cap yesterday verse Canada and scored two goals!” I mean I knew this, but why didn’t I remember (MAYBE B/C YOUR MIND RACES EVEN FASTER THAN YOU TALK)? I really felt like a horrible sister (THIS BLOG MAKES UP FOR IT).
I am not sure if anyone knows the “real” Rachel, sometimes I don’t think she knows herself (HAHA - YOU HAVE A POINT). When she sits behind her blog she is a writer. When she’s behind her camera she’s an artist. When she is in the classroom, she is a business major. When she is on the field, she is a hockey player. So who really is Rachel?
Although if there is one thing consistent in Rachel’s life it’s that she’s a competitor. She was the only girl allowed to play wiffleball on holidays with all of the men in the family. She challenged her older brothers in football throws and batting practice in the back yard. She helped out in the family business, landscaping, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, etc (DON'T FORGET DRIVING THE BATCO & PICKUPS). Rach soon earned the name “Ray.(AT LEAST YOU DIDN'T TELL THEM ABOUT MY NICKNAME BOOM)” Through middle school you even caught Rach wearing her brothers clothes (SARAH DID TOO), she now jokes around that she was the third boy.
Once high school hit, Rachel became someone different. Before leaving the house, she at least looked in the mirror ten times. Her brown curly hair bounced off her shoulders with a splash of make-up (THANKS FOR MAKING MY FRO SOUND GLAM). However, Rachel always kept quiet (THATS B/C YOU WERE ALWAYS TALKING). She didn’t really say much, she didn’t have too. She left everything she felt on the court and the field. What she did out there substituted for everything she might’ve wanted to say. She was relentless, tenacious, and gritty, but within her eager fight she remained graceful, fluent, and elegant. These two opposite feelings clustered together explain everything there is to know about Rachel Dawson (SHE IS A CONTRADICTION?).
Rachel is all about being pro-active instead of reacting (BECAUSE I KNOW I DON'T REACT WELL WHEN THINGS DON'T GO THE WAY I INTENDED). She takes problems head first instead of trying to get around them. She does not hide, she seeks (LOVE THE PLAY ON WORDS HANNAH). She encounters life('S) struggles and hardships with a smile. She strives on challenges and feeds off upbeat energy. And in each and every scenario, Rachel finishes on top (HAHA) with no regrets because she knows she has given every piece of herself to that particular moment to make the best of it and due to those efforts, whether it’s receiving an A in a statistics (WHICH I ACTUALLY GOT AN A MINUS IN) class or loosing to Korea in the world cup qualifying match, she does not bow her head instead she looks up for the next challenge that awaits her.
If there is one thing she has taught me in the game of field hockey, which has carried over to the game of life it is, “the girl or the ball.” Which is true about Rachel, this little saying coincides with her everyday life also. (IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY???) There is nothing that’s going to stop her from getting what she wants. Whether it’s that A in her class or the win in any match, she will push, pull, shove, and kick for what she wants until she has it.
So when Rachel is ready to unplug her computer, close her camera, shut her books, and hang her jersey all up for good, she will look back to all of what she’s done and not have an ounce of regret.
This 100th cap is something she will always be proud about and recognize as a great accomplishment, but right now it’s about what and how her team and herself will do to become number one in the world (HOW WILL WE RESPOND??). To many it sounds like a far-reaching goal, but to Rach, it’s just another days hard work on the field.
I may be the terrible sister for forgetting such a milestone in Rachel’s life, and I will probably forget the next one too (AT LEAST YOU ARE HONEST). However, I will always remember how Rachel got to that moment, how she herself has become such an astonishing person that sometimes, no most of the time, she doesn’t even know it herself. (NOW I KNOW IT SISTER, THANKS!!)
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