Miami Dade Real Estate Scoop

This post is not real estate related.  I still feel compelled to write it.  And you don't have to be compelled to read it.  Exit without any further obligation on your part.  No hard feelings.  Really.

Have you ever thought that learning opportunities are everywhere?  I think that about life in general.  Each day that dawns is another chance for me to learn something new, smile at someone who may not get smiled at often, help someone who may be thinking there's no help in sight and just be glad that I'm alive.

This past weekend I travelled to Orlando with both my kids to a cheerleading competition.  It was the much awaited Nationals event.  The kids have been suffering bruises, sore muscles, endless hours practicing, practically no social time and even a broken arm (yes, 8 weeks with a cast, plus another 4 immobilized) just to make it to Nationals where they can try one final time to show what they're made of. These kids work their butts off (and I don't want to hear for the umpteenth time that cheerleading is not a sport.  My kids don't shake pom poms and scream "rah, rah, shish boom bah!") to perform a routine that may last 3 minutes tops and hopefully hit every single stunt, throw their flyers higher than seems possible, catch them when they come down, land perfectly from each back flip and wow the crowd with their showmanship.

The weekend was filled with many emotions.  The first was tremendous disappointment when the eldest's squad had to forfeit competing as they had an injury to a vital teammate.  But that is another story I will tell another time.  There were too many tears involved to do it justice here as a passing mention.  It deserves it's own telling.  The Little One's squad performed fairly well on Saturday and we prepared ourselves to compete again on Sunday.  After Sunday's competition, the awards would be given out.

The Little One belongs to a middle school squad in Miami.  Since the beginning of the school year we have been attending regional competitions and usually placing second right behind another local middle school.  The rivalry that has been taking place is your typical rivalry.  The kids talk about beating the other squad simply because that's what they're trained to do...take number 1.  I root for all the squads when they do a good job, albeit a bit louder when it's our own kids up there.  I'm not one of those team Mom's like the one a couple of years back who was charged with criminal charges after she put bleach in a competitor's water bottle.  I don't believe in winning at any cost.  I believe in winning because you've earned it.

The kids have been working hard all year to bring it back to number 1.  After all, last year they placed first almost everywhere, including Nationals.  They keep losing out to another squad this year and it's just made them more determined.  No, I'm not going to tell you that Sunday's award ceremony provided a perfect climax for the year.  They placed second.  The other squad placed first.  My daughter walked up to the winning squad and congratulated them on their win.  I was proud of her.  She wasn't happy doing it, but she knows I'm a firm believer in sportsmanship and did it anyway.

After Universal Studios had provided a little more excitement in the way of thrills and chills on their phenomenal rides everyone headed back to the buses to begin the journey home.  My girls were travelling on different buses and I left a couple of hours earlier with another mom to tend to some stuff at home.  We had not yet reached Miami when I got a call from Little One crying and telling me that her bus had caught fire and they were making their way as far from it as possible in the event the engine blew up.  Imagine my shock!  I was hours away and felt helpless.  What could I do from where I was at?  I did pray.  I do that always.  Then the frantic phonecalls began as my friend and I called every single parent we knew was either on the bus or caravaning behind.  We even turned around thinking we might be able to go back and offer help, even if only to hug our kids who were sometimes calm and other times hysterical during the phonecalls.

It was very difficult to piece together what had happened exactly or what was going on even then.  Did they all get out of the bus?  Was the bus really on fire?  How far from the bus had they managed to run?  During one of the phonecalls I got the news that their rival squad had been travelling behind them and when they came across the scene and saw our girls, sponsor and team parents on the road, literally, they stopped and picked them up. I started crying even more then.  Our competition had seen us in trouble and come to our rescue.  The irony was not lost on me.  The same kids who had competed fiercely for 1st place were now consolling each other and offering kind words.  The parents of the other squad who were driving behind graciously offered to take their kids in their own cars to make room for our children on their bus.  Everyone arrived at home much later than was anticipated but they arrived safe and sound.  There were many individuals involved in getting the girls home safely and I can not thank them enough.

I asked Little One when I picked her up and was finished hugging her if she had talked to the girls from the other squad.  She said,"yeah, they were real nice."  Imagine that.  It took a burning bus to learn that those nameless children they'd been competing with all year were normal, nice kids just like them.  Kids who have favorite pillows and newly-purchased souvenirs they wouldn't want to lose either.  I think our girls have a new-found appreciation for their competition and all it took was a burning bus.

Disclaimer - I prefer not to use school names for security's sake.  But squad #1, if you're reading, you ROCK and I thank you...from the bottom of my heart.