She Was Not Delicate

She was not delicate, she was an athlete, poised, confident, yet withdrawn. She had competed, pushed herself to the edge of her limits, overcame the long, dull, training sessions, and finished her race. Now she stood with her team mates, her adversaries, watching the sports therapist knead their muscles, ease their tension, reward their success for they had all succeeded. She pulled her hat down tightly over her head, and watched, edging slowly closer. Finally, she committed herself to the inevitable and took her place. It was a simple occipital release technique, and it had dislodged the hat from every head. She pulled her hat tighter, and slowly relaxed. The muscles were eased, the tension allowed to drain. Then – it happened! The hat slipped, falling to the ground. She made no attempt to retrieve it, made no attempt to cover the emblem of her cancer. When her post event massage was over, the therapist picked up her hat and handed it to her. She did not put it back on. She was beautiful, in the delicate innocence of childhood. She was an athlete. John G. Lawless 7/2/2014