Tonight I went to watch Cassie in her last swim meet for the summer. All the kids, at one point, were on this same summer swim team but now we are down to only Shane and Cassie to represent. Shane and Jon are canoeing all week down the Missouri River with the scouts. Today they canoed 20+ miles and said it was beautiful. They began yesterday in South Dakota. So while they are gone I went to the swim meet...alone.
It was so hot and humid and I was so tired. I sat slumped into my chair and tried not to doze off. I stayed up last night waiting for Jenna and Cassie to get home from the midnight showing of Harry Potter. I made it until about 2:20 and then just couldn't keep my eyes open any more. So at the swim meet I was exhausted. I learned a few things while I sat there, very still and slumped, and took in the sights and sounds of the meet.
One little ,and I mean little, boy swam his one lap of backstroke barely making it to touch the wall. I would guess he was doing his best and trying his hardest. Well, when he got out of the water his parents were there to greet him with harsh and unkind criticism. They were very repetitive to the point I felt like saying,"C'mon give the kid a break!"
Another Dad sat at the end of the lane where his son was swimming the butterfly and he was cheering and cheering and when they boy got to the wall to do the turn, Dad began yelling in a very frustrated tone while he scanned to see where his son was placed in the pool. As soon as that boy turned the dad turned away with rolled eyes and his head shaking in disapproval.
But then, I saw Moms putting up kick boards at the wall so when their son or daughter came down doing the backstroke their head wouldn't hit the wall. I felt better after seeing this kindness.
When I assessed the situations around me I began to believe that I certainly was more like the loving and caring Moms I saw. I would never be the "bad" parents.
It was a humbling reminder that we are all flawed and in a day's time we make so many mistakes that we need the Savior. All of us do.
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