There’s a song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither that comes to mind as I reflect on the loss of several of our old friends in recent days: Old friends, after all of these years,just old friends, through the laughter and tears, old friends, what a find, what a priceless treasure. Old friends, like a rare piece of gold, my old friends, make it great to grow old, old friends, through it all I will hold, to old friends. Now God must have known, that some days on our own, we woul

Mara Abbott is a name that few people know. This 30-year-old woman from Boulder, Colorado, has worked there on a farm and has sold vegetables at the Farmer’s Market in order to support herself. She sometimes struggles with insecurities and an eating disorder, due primarily to her strong drive to succeed. On Sunday afternoon, August 7, I watched along with millions of people around the world as Mara competed in the Women’s Road Race during the Olympic competition. It is a race