by Selina J

Created on: July 03, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Growing up, my five siblings and I worked very hard on our studies and in sports. At the end of each semester, we would celebrate by going out to dinner as a family - many times at the horse races, which was an exciting place to be.

Our dad taught us how to read the program and choose the horse we thought would win, based on the statistics. We would tell him our guess, and he would place bets on the horses. It was very exciting, as we were almost always cheering for different horses. We learned the joy of victory and the disappointment of defeat.

One of my brothers was famous for picking the horse that would lose. One time when his horse came out, it was so small we thought it was a dog! Another time, his horse ran off the track. I tried not to pick the horses he was betting on!

It may seem that our father was allowing us to gamble at a young age, but we were really just having a good time. None of us have been to the racetrack in our adult lives, so it obviously didn't become a problem. I'm not sure I could read a racing program now or remember the terms I knew back then.

The point is, we came together as a family, went out and had a wonderful time as a family at the horse races. We would return home with our bellies full, smiles on our faces, yet very tuckered out - a happy kind of tired - from the excitement of the night. I fondly remember those days at the track, and hope I can start such traditions when my kids grow old enough.

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