A Love Letter to my Parents: Concerning Swim Meets

Dear Mom and Dad,

When I was a young girl, I participated in swim meets. They were events of great fun and sport, during which I would spend time with my friends (or a book) and swim with all the passion my elementary school aged heart could muster. Without a doubt, swim meets were always fun. For me.

I realize now, with the knowledge that only experience can bring, that swim meets suck. Waiting hours for your kid to swim sucks. The heat sucks. Trying to squint and see which kid is your kid sucks. It all sucks. 

                                         That poor child who is definitely last.

                                      The king of the country constantly watching.

                                               Moment of entertainment!

                              The kid so desperate to escape that he climbs a wall.

                                            Throw in the uncooperative toddler.

                                          All of us wondering, 'Why are we here?'

While waiting for Omar to swim this weekend, I ended up taking pictures of random things to entertain myself and that did not last long. I read for an hour or so and then was finished with my book. Half the time when Omar was swimming, I couldn’t tell which kid was him, which put a slight damper on taking pictures of him.

                                           For example, this is not Omar.

So thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you for finding ways to entertain yourself, either by chatting with other parents or reading or being that person at the end of the pool who records the time on the stopwatch. I now know that it couldn’t have been easy (or really that entertaining). But you did it all for the joy of this moment.

                                           Which makes you pretty cool.

All my love,

Mary Margaret

PS. I took this picture and I’m very proud of it. You all had better ooh and ahh.

                                                       Oooooh. Aaaaah.

PSS. Also, they were setting fields on fire. Apparently, this helps the fields make better produce the next year, but you know, setting things on fire could also just be cathartic.

                                                      I know I would.

PSS. We had a calligraphy workshop on Friday. It was awesome. I was the unofficial winner. Here is why.

                                         This is my name. But it was too easy.

                                                 So I stole Margaret's.

                                                   And Jonathan's.

Ma'a Salaama!