I basically have my life today as a result of what I did as a child. What did I miss out on? Yeah, I missed not hanging out at shopping malls, I guess, but that is not a big deal because you don't get a medal for that.
Nadia ComaneciRead
My mother never watched me train in Romania. She wasn't allowed, it just wasn't done back then. My training was paid for by the government. My parents were not at the Olympics with me, either. I never expected them to be.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the absence of parental support during the speaker's training and achievements.
Nadia Comaneci reflects on her journey as an Olympic gymnast, noting the cultural norms of her time that limited parental involvement in her training. Despite the lack of presence from her family during critical moments, she expresses a realization that their absence did not diminish her determination or expectations regarding their support.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech highlighting the importance of perseverance in the absence of support.
I basically have my life today as a result of what I did as a child. What did I miss out on? Yeah, I missed not hanging out at shopping malls, I guess, but that is not a big deal because you don't get a medal for that.
If I was a boy, nobody would care that I worked out six, seven hours a day when I was 9 years old, no? Why were people always saying 'poor little girl?' I liked to work out and always did more than I was asked to.
I have had a few turning points, the first day I entered a gymnastics school at age 6.
I didn't realize that winning the Olympics at age 14 automatically put me in the category of being a celebrity.
I think that when you are on a four-inch balance beam, you don't care about laughing or smiling or waving to the crowd because you're going to be down in a second.
Maybe that's why I like gymnastics - because I like to fly.
Well, I think having your kids see you role model behavior of dignity when it's hard, when you're upset, when you want to confront somebody but you don't want to and you're nervous about it, when you are having moments where abuse of power is coming on to you. I think it's really important for kids to see how you handle that.
There are two facts that all children need to disprove sooner or later; mother and father. If you go on believing in the fiction of your own parents, it is difficult to construct any narrative of your own.
Motherhood is a hallowed place because children aren’t commonplace. Co-laboring over the sculpting of souls is a sacred vocation, a humbling privilege. Never forget.
They are not royal. They just happen to have me as their aunt.
When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out.
Never forget the nine most important words of any family- I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me.
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