My First Born

I could tell many stories about my first born.

This is one from the summer when he was 12 years old.

The start of summer.

That summer, he joined a year-round swim team.
He suffered from asthma and we thought swimming would be good for him.
We were right.

The end of summer.

By the end of the summer his breathing was much better. He did not have to use his inhaler as often. His wheezing was minimal. Also at the end of summer he swam in his first competitive meet. His event was the 500.
He was swimming against kids who had been in the program since they were 5 years old. Even though he was much better after taking lessons and practicing all summer, he was not as strong a swimmer as those kids.

They swam laps around him. They finished, exited the pool, and stood on the side watching him, now the only swimmer in the pool. The official stopped him and asked him if he wanted to quit.

My husband and I waited to see what he would do.

Without hesitation, he chose to finish the 500.
All of the other swimmers, the other parents and the officials waited while he swam back and forth across the pool.

The 500 is 100 yards freestyle, 100 yards backstroke, 100 yards butterfly stroke and 100 breaststroke. A really good swimmer can swim it in under ten minutes. He took about 30 minutes to complete all of the twenty laps.

He did not take home any medals that day, but he was a champion in our eyes.

He swam competitively for six years and earned many swimming and diving medals. His asthma was no longer an issue.

The story today.

He now is the father of a 12-year old son who is following in his path as a swimmer. My grandson has mastered all of the strokes and is doing well. He has not yet competed against other swimmers in a meet.

How he swims under the pressure of competition remains to be seen. I am confident that he will be a champion in the things that matter.