Swim, little fish!

Took Alison swimming today at the Kroc Center. There is NOTHING delicate about this child. She is just a big girl, not fat, but she's filled out her bathing suit and doesn't look like a 10 year old. She's mistaken for 13-14 year olds all the time. And she's not the least bit delicate about jumping in the pool. No jumping in feet first...no....she BELLY FLOPS every single stinking time. She's conquering her fears one by one and today it was time to conquer her fear of deep water and jumping off the diving board. Which she did. Only somehow she jumped off the side of the diving board and--I wasn't in the area to watch--she somehow smacked her face on the cement edge of the pool and now has a beautiful puffy, red torn up inside upper lip. Didn't phase her a bit. A little bit of ice and some attention from the lifeguards and BELLY FLOP! right back into the deep end. She's a fish in water, totally at home in it. Three story water slide? Bring it on (in fact, I've done it and it's REALLY fun). Somersaults, flips, handstands, you name it she'll do it no matter how deep. She loves the Wibbit, an in-water obstacle course. Ungainly and not ladylike, she throws herself into it. Nothing stops her.

My girls, they inspire me. They challenge how I think, how I approach life, how I face down my own fears. Katherine is facing something head-on right now, something very painful. I am amazed by her grace and fortitude, her ability to love and forgive and move on. When I want to go ninja on someone, she reminds me this person is already hurting and a prisoner of their own ignorance. Don't you go down that same road, mom. When I see life through my own jaded viewfinder, Alison points out a fact or reality I wasn't seeing and changes my approach. I thought God gave me children to enrich THEIR lives. It's been quite the opposite. Where I differ from my own mother is I try to be teachable and humble enough to recognize when I need to change my view or thoughts on something, instead of hanging onto my pride and arrogance and thinking my way is the ONLY way.

Girls, my precious girls, Katherine and Alison, it is such a privilege to be your mother, to learn from you, to walk with you, to love you, and to be loved by you in return. The lessons I learn and growth I gain are your gifts to me.