swim swam swum

The countless miles, the pools of tears (both happy and sad), the life-long friendships---my swimming career without a doubt has been both one of the greatest joys and the greatest challenges in my life.

I left these girls after high school with a little part of me wondering if I could really live without them. And thinking that I could never find another group of people that knew my story that well---and not just the swimming part, the everything part.

Yet, after four years, that pool deck at West Gym was just as much home as anywhere else. And these people were also family---with even more sordid blackmail stories than the people above. Thank goodness there were no smart phones in college. I shudder at the thought. Madonna's Like a Prayer will never be the same ...

But I mildly digress, this really started as my emotional outpouring of the fact that J1 is officially signed up for her first age-group swim team. I'm so excited for my mini-me!

My dear J1, I hope you have so much fun this summer. I can't wait to cheer for you. I can't wait to wave to you when you step up on the block and look around to see if we are there. We will be. Always. It might be hard. It might not always be fun. But be brave. Make friends. Take chances. Swim your little heart out. And above all, know that we are always here and always proud of you. My wish for you is that this sport brings you as much joy as it has brought me.