Districts

The last few days have flown by in a blur. The district meet for my high school swim team was on Saturday night so my co-coach and I have been diligently working toward preparing our team for the big event, all the while hoping and praying that our girls' team would perform at the level we knew they were capable of to bring home the district championship.

My focus was somewhat scattered with trying to prepare and also going about my normal daily activities. As I struggled to keep up with everything, a few simple moments stood out to remind me how lucky I am. One day late last week my husband gathered his keys and informed me that he was going to the grocery store. This is a chore I normally take care of and by the state of the refrigerator, I clearly had neglected my duties over the past week or so. He teased me a bit when he said that he had to go since his wife kept forgetting. In his typical good-natured way, he did the shopping so that I would have one less thing to do as I prepared for the big meet.

I was thinking of how fortunate I am to have such a wonderful husband when I stopped by the nearby cemetery. My brother-in-law died a few years ago at only 32 years old and is buried a short distance away from where my friends' recently buried their twin 15-month-old sons. I can't say why I've been drawn to visit the cemetery so much recently, but each time I drive that way I find myself stopping in and driving to the back to visit these two gravesites. I look down at the simple markings and marvel at how tragic their deaths were and how lucky I am to have my family healthy and whole.

My husband had everything well under control when I left for the meet, and I remember resolving to enjoy the day. I was looking forward to the motivational speech that the team's captains had prepared and the girls were so excited about the possiblities. The girls won the first event, and then the second. There was a great photo taken after the conclusion of the second event in which the girls who came in first and second were hugging each other after the race. The winner was a senior captain, the second-place finisher a freshman.

It was early Sunday morning when I arrived home after the district championship meet. I shifted the trophy in my hands as I slipped through the door and tip-toed up the stairs to check on my sleeping children. Once I was assured that they were all well, I looked down at the trophy and smiled at the many wonderful memories that had been made that night. My team swam so well and had so much fun cheering for each other. More than anything though, I was grateful to be home and know that my family was safe and all was well.