Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Solo: A Memoir of Hope by Hope Solo with Ann Killion

"Solo: A Memoir of Hope" by Hope Solo with Ann Killion

I found this book at the library, just passing by a shelf. I am a soccer player, I follow the game and I remember Hope Solo from the World Cup so I picked up the book. This is a book of honesty, of one girls struggle in life on and off the field. It is a story of overcoming and surviving. It is a story of hope. Hope grew up in a home with a lot of turmoil. She may not have had the most stable family environment but she did have love from her family. That love is what brought her through many trials. That love held her together in the toughest of moments. Hope is tough and she is honest. I liked the book for it's honesty but it also paints a view of soccer and the politics that I didn't necessarily want to know. I admire Hope and the things that she overcame and her hard work as an athlete. I admire her conviction and her willingness to be who she is no matter the critics. "Hope is, by definition, defiant. It is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength." Hope is defiant. I love that because when hope is at its strongest its because everything around it is saying there is no hope. Its hard to hope, it takes strength and courage. "Some things are more important than soccer." Hope lived for the game and strived to be the best but she knew what was most important, family. "Only a daughter cries like that for her father." A stranger saw Hope in an airport crying and knew she was crying for her father. I love the picture that that statement paints, that a father and a daughter have such a bond. "Memories are for you, and nobody can take them away." People may hurt us, people may leave us but no one can take our memories. That is a beautiful thing. "You've taught me so well, Dad. You have prepared me for life. You have taught me how to fight, how to love deeply, how not to get bullied, how to reach out to others, how not to judge, how to enjoy life, how to be happy no matter where I walk. You have taught me to be me, and you are such a part of me. I will carry your spirit inside me no matter where I go." That is a legacy. "Hope, you're a strong person. You're a truth-teller. People aren't comfortable with that." It's hard to be the one telling the truth. Lots of people don't want to hear it but that is what God calls us to, truth in love. "Reality has tested us, but love has saved us." Reality is hard, but love, most of all God's love, saves us.

No comments:

Post a Comment