Bloom Where You Are Planted

Growing up as a "military child," I am no stranger to moving multiple times and saying goodbye over and over again. My dad has served in the Air Force for my entire life up until this last year. We have moved eight times, and I have attended four schools... which is nothing compared to my siblings and many friends who are also children of active duty military service members.

Although constant changes and moves are always a challenge, some of the most important things my parents have taught me are to always put myself out there, to get involved, and to never be afraid to fail.

"Bloom where you are planted" is something that my mom tells us constantly, and is the military child mantra. One consistent, and very essential ingredient that has always enabled me to "bloom where I am planted", is sports... and for me, the sport that I fell most in love with is lacrosse. I picked up the game of lacrosse in kindergarten while my dad was stationed near Boston, MA and it has been a part of me ever since. Being a part of sports teams has been a great way for me to connect with people and meet new friends wherever my dad's career took us.

While hugely popular in New England, we weren't sure what opportunities we would have when our most recent move brought us to Colorado Springs, CO. One of the first things we did when we arrived in CO was to look up girls lacrosse programs. We were thrilled to find a team full of amazing girls, all with a great work ethic, and a program with incredible coaches. I have played with my team for four years now, every fall and every spring, and for most of us, every summer during the club season. Through this team, I have met some of my closest friends as well as coaches and mentors who have become like family. This past month, my time with this team came to a close as we move on from 8th grade youth lacrosse to high school. Several of my teammates will go with me to high school, some to other high schools in the area, and some are moving out of state... a much more permanent goodbye, and one that I am all too familiar with. It is strange to be on the opposite side of that for the first time in my life.

At the end of the season, our parents and coaches gifted us with our jersey number on The Rounded Dog Tags as a special reminder of the team that became "home." Each of us will carry this special memento with us throughout our new adventures, wherever they may take us. Thank you Tiny Tags for these beautiful reminders of our teammates, the time we shared together, and how much we have bloomed, learned and grown together. I know that my friends and teammates will treasure their Rounded Dog Tags, reminding us of the amazing time we spent together, as much as I do!

- Madi Golaboski