Not many people have heard of Bill Havens. But Bill became an unlikely hero of
sorts - at least among those who knew him best. Here is his story:
At the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, the sport of canoe racing was added to the
list of international competitions. The favorite team in the four-man canoe race
was the United States team. One member of that team was a young man by the name
of Bill Havens.
As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill's wife would give
birth to their first child about the time that the US team would be competing in
the Paris games. In 1924 there were no jet airliners from Paris to the United
States, only slow ocean-going ships. And so Bill found himself in a dilemma.
Should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their baby was
born? Or should he withdraw from the team and remain with his family? Bill's
wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was the
culmination of a life-long dream. But Bill felt conflicted and, after much
soul-searching, decided to withdraw from the competition and remain home where
he could support his wife when the child arrived. He considered being at her
side his highest priority - even higher than going to Paris to fulfill his
dream.
As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in
Paris. And Bill's wife was late in giving birth to their child. She was so late,
in fact, that Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to
be with her when she gave birth. People said, "What a shame." But Bill said he
had no regrets. For the rest of his life, he believed he had made the better
decision. Bill Havens knew what was most important to him. Not everybody figures
that out. And he acted on what he believed was best. Not everybody has the
strength of character to say no to something he or she truly wants in order to
say yes to something that truly matters. But for Bill, it was the only way to
peace; the only way to no regrets.
There is an interesting sequel to the story of Bill Havens..
The child eventually born to Bill and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank.
Twenty-eight years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from Frank. It was
sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were being held. The
cablegram read: "Dad, I won. I'm bringing home the gold medal you lost while
waiting for me to be born."
Frank Havens had just won the gold medal for the United States in the
canoe-racing event, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did.
Like I said - no regrets.
Thomas Kinkade eloquently said, "When we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to
the things that really matter... then peace begins to settle onto our lives like
golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor."
Steve Goodier
Thanks to Life Support System Publishing, Inc.
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