The Finish Line

The finish line can be an easy barrier to cross.  Whenever I've run a race, I sprinted through the finish line.



Other finish lines are tougher to cross.  Tennis is a great example.  Time and again, I see one player absolutely dominate a match and then tighten up when it becomes time to close the match out.

Some people might remember Jana Novotna, for most of her career notorious as a choke.  Chanda Rubin actually had the opposite reputation.  She was able to climb back into matches.



I watched them play in the 1995 French Open with my brother JR (or Uncle JR if you like!) and watched Rubin go down 0-5, 0-40 to Novotna in the decisive third set.  Chanda served her way out of trouble and pushed the score to 1-5.  I then announced to JR that she would win.  He laughed and offered me 30-1 odds on a dollar.  I took the bet.  Chanda took the third set 8-6.

Pregnancy gives us finish lines both easy and difficult.  Some folks get to have their natural childbirth and gather together as a new family immediately afterward.  Others have a very difficult time crossing the finish line.

This is the beginning of our story trying to cross the finish line.  I make reference to our last fight and near miss in the Fertility Authority blog entry, Remembering the Barely Started.

To those of you who have reached the finish line only to encounter heartbreak, I am so sorry.  Please forgive me if I intrude upon your grief.  I tell this story with everlasting relief and a sense of gratitude.