The Journey of Hope | Teen Ink

The Journey of Hope

October 28, 2014
By Anonymous

I don’t know why people say that the sky is the limit, when there are foot prints on the moon. If I had a dream that I would have to choose right now, it would be without any question, to be able to play in the National Hockey League. Words can’t describe how much I want this dream to become a reality. There are two main reasons why I want this to become a reality. The first, and most important reason, is to give back to my parents, for all they have done for me and sacrificed for me. A lot of their money spent just for me to try to make my dream become a reality, as well as the countless hours spent in a car just to take me to a game and even practice. My next reason is one that really hits home for me that is having a doctor look at me, eye to eye, right before one of the biggest surgery of my life and say to me, “Were going to do everything in our power to save your leg.” The thought of never being able to hear your skates carving into the ice or the wind blowing in your face, never really came a crossed my mind before, I never thought about life without hockey. Hockey has always been my life ever since I was a baby. After surgery and talking with the doctor, I will never forget the look that he gave me, the look was like no other look, it was a sense of hope, I could see it in his eyes as he stood over me saying what a great job I did, an awesome job, and that everything is going to be okay. After coming to, I had a meeting with the doctor. It was another moment that will stick in my mind forever. The meeting was mainly about the time frame of when I could skate again and after a long discussion, the doctor looked at me and said, “The date when you skate again is mainly on you.” As my hospital stay went on, I would blow off therapy, or just mainly getting out of bed and moving around. Even though the more and more I get my therapy done and moved around my room, the quicker I would be an able to go home, as well as quicker I would be able to skate. As I lay there thinking about playing hockey again or doing my therapy, I would have a feeling of fear and doubt. I was afraid that I would get hurt again and have to undergo another 14 surgeries to save my leg and wondering before each surgery if I would wake up with two legs or one. The sense of doubt I had was one where I would think to myself, “I will never be as good as I was.” So one morning as I lay there, still on my back staring out the window, I watched the winter day go on. I saw kids having a snow fight as they slide around on the snow and ice, which had brought back many memories of playing hockey outside where it all started, the memory of skating around and having no worries in the world, hearing your skates carve into the ice, the wind blowing in your face as you skate back and forth, your red checks, noses and ears that you would have, hitting your friends into snow banks or celebrating a goal by jumping into one as your friends dog pile on top of you. You just went outside to enjoy the sport you fell in love with when you were a kid, the sport that I love. As I’m still lying there, I finally said that I had enough. I was known as the hockey player. So I finally rolled out of bed and the journey to the NHL began again but this time with a new sense of attitude and mind set.
 



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