25 years

It has been 25 years since my father passed away.  This year I did something I never thought I would do.  I returned to Greenwoods swim club, the place where he died.  We were at a swim meet when my father suffered a heart attack.  I continued to swim for our swim team, Wedgewood but whenever we had a swim meet that took place at Greenwood, I skipped that meet.

Celia's mini-championships this year took place at Greenwood.  And so I put my big girl pants on and went to the pool.  It was ok.  It was fine.  25 years later and the pool looks eerily the same.  But we were there for something entirely different.  We were there for his granddaughter and that felt more weird to me then anything else.  25 years prior, could anyone have predicted that this beautiful and amazing little girl would have been in that same pool?

 So Dad you would be proud of Celia for many reasons.  

But this swim season she showed a side of her that was certainly a priority to you- being a team mate.

A little friend of hers was crying at her first meet.

I was told by her coach that Celia made sure to stay with this little girl and kept reassuring her.

When Celia finished her race, not knowing that the little girl backed out of her own race, she went immediately to congratulate her.  At mini-championships Celia finished her backstroke race and could not wait to get a view of the pool to see her best friend swim (not the same girl that was crying).  She wanted to cheer on her best buddy.

This whole sportsmanship and team spirt thing was what you believed made swimming.

It was a pat from a coach and a word of encouragement from a friend.

Sure winning was fun but that was not what the entire point of being on a team was all about.

Just had to add this!

I also have to add this odd fact.  I was driving the Tuesday prior to mini-champs thinking about going to Greenwoods.  I was wondering if it would affect me in someway.  I am honestly not an openly emotional person but you know this is sort of different.  I looked over at the car next to me and it had a bumper sticker advertising Cecil County.  It completely threw me as my Dad's name was Cecil.  I just saw the Cecil at first.  So who knows Dad, maybe you threw a sign out to me!