Last Times

As my teenager's senior year in high school winds down, I have started noting the "last time" events. It's a normal behavior for moms in general as their chicks get ready to leave the nest. I did it when my oldest chose TX and the metroplex city of Ft. Worth for college and I'm counting, noting, and contemplating the "lasts" for the teenager. Saturday was Sac-Joaquin Swimming Section finals. He made it after Friday's trials to one of the fastest in the top 16. Of Course, I was working, but we did have a minimum day with early dismissal. Oh my goodness, my teenager swam really fast. He bettered his 100 fly time by one second to 54:82. He swam the 100 breast for only the 5th time in his 4 year high school career at a 1:03. He was very pleased. His 200 IM relay team also swam finals. The relay team moved up two places, as did my teenager in the Fly and the Breast. The amazing thing was this was one of the FASTEST section finals I have ever seen. Automatic All American times were being swum and posted all over the score board. These high school swimmers from NorCal were FAST. Even though my teenager did his best and swam the fastest he had ever swum, he took 12th in the Fly and 14th in the breast. I am very proud of him.

I realized that this was the very last time I would ever see him poised on the block, goggles and cap adjusted, leg suit poured over his body, bent over his toes, and ready to explode. I just couldn't help but smile. He swam fast and he was happy with his times. No more swim practice. Since 1985 I have had a boy in swimming. The oldest swam at the advice of the allergy specialist as a way to help his asthma. Boy, that was a struggle to get him in the water. In fact, that's an entire blog. The youngest took to liquid space with the precision of any natural sea creature. He loved the water. Smiling, splashing, diving, cavorting, it was all a part of the youngest's water introduction. I watched him swim for the very last time competetively. Swimming has been good to our family. It's had its moments, believe me. Disagreements with the coaches, parents who don't volunteer, more pool decks than a body should ever have to visit, more rainy, foggy, cold, sunny, blazing hot days on a concrete pool deck with no shade, than I ever want to think about. But, you know, swimming has been very good to our family. The oldest's asthma and most of his allergies "disappeared" by age 11. He was so physically fit and learned many things about himself through swimming and water polo. We as parents learned to volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. I served as chairman of the club and became active in local politics and eventually was an appointee to the Parks and Rec Commission. The countless number of absolutely wonderful people we have met through swimming and water polo will always be the most important benefit. And, of course, it took my teenager as a smiling 18 month old and honed his skills with a ball, a polo cage, and an egg beater, and got him accepted into a D1 water polo team. Sheesh! Is life good or what? Yep, he swam fast Friday and Saturday, and I am so grateful for 23 years of aquatics. I am proud of him, me, the mister, and of course my oldest. We have all grown through aquatics....He swam fast. He was pleased with his effort. He placed in Consolations. He's one of the top 16 in all of NorCal. Life is really good.