Here is the thing; today I don’t want to write about how I am feeling. I want to write something positive. I want to write about something hopeful.
I could tell you about my kids. Yesterday we went to the pool and they both passed the swim test for the first time. They are now free to swim wherever they want, deep end, lap pool, wherever.
My oldest had to take the test twice. He was devastated when he didn’t pass the first time. His younger brother had already passed and was swimming wildly in the deep end.
There is a special kind of heartbreak you feel as a parent when you see your kid on the verge of tears, doing their best to keep it together.
I held him and told him it was okay to cry. I told him it was ok to struggle. I told him I believed he could do it. Then I gave him tips on the part he was struggling with. Then his brother swam over and gave him advice as well. And not in the snotty I can do it better kind of way, but in the genuine wanting to be helpful and see his brother succeed kind of way. After all of that he took the test and passed, no problems.
The look on his face was pure triumph. I think it actually ended up making him feel even better than if he had passed the first time. He was truly proud of himself and what he had been able to accomplish.
He had a look in his eye like he knew he could overcome anything.
So that is what I will leave you with today, the success of my kids passing the swim test. It means the world to me.
Rey Wright 