Thin Ice (Corey Crawford)

The Present is a Present

Samantha

After we had won gold and my team and I celebrated I thought that would be the end of my olympics experience. That I did what I came here to do and that would be the end of it. But man... I couldn't have been more wrong. Immediately after we won people were trying to to do interviews, set up photo shoot and all that stuff. I had teams all over the world offering me a position to play, I'm talking NHL, NWHL, USA, Canada, the KHL, and everything in between. I didn't even have a argent but I think I might want to find someone to represent me at this point. It was all so much coming at me so quickly, but I wanted to finish out the games in peace before I made any decision like that. I wanted to live out my fathers dreams before I go chasing my own.

So I pull on his lucky shirt and I head to the ice arena. Canada and Sweden were going for the gold medal tomorrow and the US and Finland was going for bronze today. So I could cheer on all my people and not have to feel bad about it because it was the USA vs Canada game. But for now I wanted to come to the ice, where I belong. I wanted to be able to actually take this stuff in. Connect with my dad, even though he's not here physically I can feel him with me.

"I figured I would find you here" Corey accuses as he walks over to me. He pulls me into a hug as I wrap my arms around him.

"It's kinda funny how the ice makes me feel all warm inside" I giggle.

"Are you okay, you look tired" he claims.

"Well if it wasn't for this crazy time change it's the fact that my phone is going off at all hours of the day and the night. I've been feeling pretty tired and still got a massive headache. But I don't mind it really, this is what I wanted" I shrug.

"Are you sure this is what you want" he asks.

I let out a long sigh as I shake my head. "I don't know. It's all happening so fast I'm afraid that if I answer all these people and spend all my time worried about my future I'll lose my here and now. These olympics only happen once and I can't let this experience slip through my fingers as I grab for other things" I explain.

"Then be here and be now. The future isn't going anywhere" he teases.

"I know. I just... I dreamed of this moment and now that it's here it's nothing like I would thought it would be. Just wish my dad could see all of it" I admit.

"He knows. He always knew that this moment would be here and because you were strong and because you remembered what he was like you did it. Because of him you got to live out your dreams. And now you get to make new ones" he says.

"Like what" I wonder.

"For you, it could be anything. Whatever you want to do you should do it" he claims.

"I do miss hockey" I smile as he laughs.

"Not as much as hockey missed you. And I'm not going to stand here and tell you that it's going to get easier. I'm not going to say that your place in this world is best suited in hockey. I don't know what the future holds for you.

All I know is that there is a lot of people in this world who look up to you. People who say "when I get older I want to me Samantha Miller" because of what you've done here. But it nothing compared to what you can do" he claims.

"It doesn't even feel real. It's like everyone at these games knows who I am and I want to know everyone else too. I feel people staring and I feel bad when people ask for pictures because I'm so awkward. I don't think I'm made to be famous" I laugh.

"I think you are" he insists. "You're stunningly beautiful and you have a smile that can light the darkest of days. Your personality makes it so everyone feels like a someone around you. I don't think there could be a better person leading the charge for the future of hockey" I claim.

"I sure hope so" I sigh.

After hanging out for a little while longer I change into my Team USA jersey and go to support Patrick and the boys in tonight's game. I decide to change things up and sit with my teammates because I was going to miss them a lot. We were like a family, they had my back and I had theirs. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them but no moment is worth living in forever. Not even ones like this. My future, whatever it is, I won't find it sitting here trying to relive the past. I just hope that sometime in the future we can get together again because this team was special.

"You're dating that Blackhawks goalie right" Hillary asks me and I nod. I see Corey a few seats down just smiling at me like he doesn't see me every single day of his life.

"I am, why" I wonder.

"My brother wanted to know if you're single" she admits making me laugh.

"Tell him there's a line because my brother said the same thing" Meghan claims.

"I'm not anything to fawn over" I defend.

"Says who" Hillary scoffs. "I am confident in saying that you're the most famous woman athlete right now, over Lindsay Vonn and Serena Willams and anyone else really. Maybe even the most popular athlete period."

"And I just want to hang with my girls before I won't be able to anymore" I insist.

"That we can make happen" she smiles.

So I sit with them and take a bunch of pictures so we can look back at them and smile. I've gotten so many pictures from this trip I was going to have to find somewhere to keep them safe so I can show my kids one day.

The game comes and goes and the boys end up losing and having to leave here without a medal. It sucked because we were all pretty close with the guys. We shared locker rooms and some staff people so we did a lot together. They took it hard but the future of USA hockey is bright. Maybe by the next one Shawn will be in net and I'll be in the stands cheering him on as he cheers me on too.

But that's the thing about the future, no one really knows what will happen four years from now. That's why it's called the present, because it's a gift not of what if or will be, but is. And we can spend the present making sure the future is something we're excited about and will one day be a present too.

After a long night with the girls I decide to head back to my room. The gold medal game was tomorrow then it was closing ceremonies and back to Chicago so I should probably start to pack. I start tossing things in my suitcase and I stop when I see my dads shirt. I smile because bringing this with me meant a part of him made it to the Olympics, just like we hoped.