I could not have been more proud

Swim meets began this week.  Because Catherine has pleurisy, she did not swim in Tuesday's meet.  I was able to get to see Thomas swim in two events before I had to leave for a church meeting.  Normally I would stay and miss the meeting, but that isn't really an option with budgeting this time of year.  One of Thomas's events was the 500m, and he did really well considering it was the first meet of the year.  I didn't get to see it, but he was really pleased.

Last night was another meet.  Catherine hadn't been able to practice all week because of the pleurisy pain, but the doctor had said she could compete.  I was a little astonished when the coach put her in four events since she hadn't been in the pool all week.  I was further astonished that they were not all 50m races...she had a couple of 100m swims to get through.  Oh heavens!  After her first event she said she was fine, and after her second event (both of these were 50's) she said she was feeling some twinge of pain.  Her third swim was a 100m, and I could tell in the second half of her race that she was in pain.  She could barely get herself out of the pool, and even when she did she just sat on the edge of the pool.  When she finally stood up, she was doubled over.  I wanted to run to her, but she seemed to be handling it okay.  As she walked along the pool deck she was holding her side, but you know what I noticed?  My girl was smiling.  She is tough.  She was in pain, but she had finished and she was pleased and she was smiling.

I was again astonished (and frankly, pretty damn annoyed with the coach) when I realized that she also had to swim the final event...which was the next event after the one I just wrote about!  Ugh!  I looked at Andrew and said, "Oh my God!  She has to swim again right away!"  I was not at all certain that she could complete the race, and as a relay that is rough on the team to lose those points.  She was the third leg of the event, and again, it was another 100m.  The second 50m of her leg she was breathing on nearly every stroke, and I could tell she was struggling.  I could tell as soon as she got out of the water that she was really in pain, but my girl was smiling again.  I'm not sure how I didn't cry as I sat there being so proud of her.  She was in pain, but she pushed through.

I remember once talking to a classmate of Catherine's about Catherine.  Maggie's statement about Catherine is that she is "a tough cookie".  Maggie meant it as a compliment, although sadly, most high school students don't see that as an admirable trait.  My girl is a very tough cookie, and there truly aren't words to describe how proud I am of her always, but especially how proud I was last night!