The End of an Era
Ever since she was a little girl my daughter has loved the water. The first time she was on a beach, she cried and complained because the sand was gritty – but the water. . . . That’s a different story. She would play in it at the beach, in the tub, in the pool, wherever she could “feel” the water. Inspired by her big brother he started swimming for the local neighborhood swim team at age four. Then, when she realized what she could do, she joined a swim club that practiced year round. She got to be good and stayed with it even when we moved to Saint Louis from 400 miles away. She held pool records back there and won school records when she started swimming for the high school here. She eventually gave that up so she could focus on club swimming, which is much more challenging that high school swimming in Missouri.
When it came time to pick a college to attend, she went to one of those web sites where you can put in certain parameters and it will tell you which colleges have what you’re looking for. She picked her major, of course and then student enrollment size. Then, because she wanted to have another option in case her major wasn’t what she was hoping for, she entered another, secondary education path. Lastly she wanted a college with a swimming program. With that mix, there were only three colleges in the country from which to pick. Swimming narrowed down the field. It’s a five year program for her major and only four years of athletic eligibility.
Now, this past week, she ended her swimming career at the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships. In college she was a smaller fish in the pond than when she was in high school. Still, she did well enough in the prelim’s that she was able to return for finals. I was there as was her mom. Her boyfriend came from college to see her swim; and, yes, even her big brother who inspired her so many years ago (and may still do so to some degree) was there. My wife and I helped with the senior parents’ duties and tried to make it a special time for all the senior girls. Still, it’s over.
My daughter says that she’s too busy to let it sink in yet. That may happen next week, or the week after that, or maybe the week after that. For my wife and me, we have the time to think about it. It makes me feel old. It makes me feel sad that it’s over. But, mostly, it makes me feel proud that I was there and that I was a part of that long and productive time in her life when she could feel the water.
When it came time to pick a college to attend, she went to one of those web sites where you can put in certain parameters and it will tell you which colleges have what you’re looking for. She picked her major, of course and then student enrollment size. Then, because she wanted to have another option in case her major wasn’t what she was hoping for, she entered another, secondary education path. Lastly she wanted a college with a swimming program. With that mix, there were only three colleges in the country from which to pick. Swimming narrowed down the field. It’s a five year program for her major and only four years of athletic eligibility.
Now, this past week, she ended her swimming career at the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships. In college she was a smaller fish in the pond than when she was in high school. Still, she did well enough in the prelim’s that she was able to return for finals. I was there as was her mom. Her boyfriend came from college to see her swim; and, yes, even her big brother who inspired her so many years ago (and may still do so to some degree) was there. My wife and I helped with the senior parents’ duties and tried to make it a special time for all the senior girls. Still, it’s over.
My daughter says that she’s too busy to let it sink in yet. That may happen next week, or the week after that, or maybe the week after that. For my wife and me, we have the time to think about it. It makes me feel old. It makes me feel sad that it’s over. But, mostly, it makes me feel proud that I was there and that I was a part of that long and productive time in her life when she could feel the water.
posted by genebko at
3:15 PM
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