Swimming strokes

About half way across the lake, just over the deepest part, it was becoming more and more obvious that I wasn’t going to make it to the other side. My arms were tired, my legs were burning, and my lungs were exhausted, and I wasn’t even through with the first quarter of my swim. I started preparing emotionally for what lie ahead: either my life would end with a drowning, or (far more likely) I’d have to swallow my pride and accept that my sister was a better swimmer than I.

Well, the drowning was still in question, but the fact that I had been out swum was for certain. How could this be? Sure, Stacy was on the swim team in highschool, but I was team captain of both football and track for crying out loud! The way I remember it, I was the captain and she was “Heath’s sister”. Plus I’d been swimming laps three times a week for the past three months.

“You're not all-powerful, Ani.”
”Well, I should be.”
“One day, I will be. I will become the most powerful Jedi EVER.”

I was the one that proposed she and I head down to Nolte State Park and freestyle our way across Deep Lake, but she was the one who left me choking on her wake. It’s a pretty humbling position to be in: first I’m standing at the shore, brimming with confidence that she’ll have a hard time keeping up with me, next thing I’m 15 yards behind her swallowing my pride along with half the duck-poop filled lake. Its quite a drop to go from holding your head high to treading water and stretching your neck in an effort to keep your head above water.

“Do you yield?”
“I can't bloody swim!”
“Do you yield?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Then put your feet down.”
“Well, I’ll be buggered.”

Well, luckily, I made it across the lake and back without drowning, but my heart could feel the altitude sickness from the fall of one second having my head in the clouds and the next having my feet flat on the ground. Turns out, I’m not as immortal and she's not as imperfect as I had figured.

“The Force runs strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And... my sister has it.”

Well, I’m still too proud to accept that I can’t swim well: I’ve been working on my swimming strokes ever since that day, but I’ve learned that I’m not too proud to accept that my sister is way better than me (in a lot of things).

"Would it bother anyone if I worked on my cannon balls?"

I’ve been trying to tweak my stroke so I can swim for a long period of time without getting lightheaded or hyperventilated. I’ve figured out a lot of things on my own, and I’ve eavesdropped a lot on the swimming classes that are taught at the pool I go to, but I’ve realized that Stacy is a good source for tips and pointers.

And looking back on things, she’s been a good source for tips and pointers on a lot more than just swimming. She lived in Provo last year. We had a lot of fun going to dollar movies and tossing around the baseball—it was fun to have a friend that liked to do those things with me, but what meant more than having a friend who liked all the strange things I like (such as Christmas movies in the springtime, or grilled cheese with tomato soup—a must-have combo) was having someone to talk to when I was stressing about work, or school, or girls.

When I look at the huge difference in my relationship with Stacy from when we were kids to now, I no longer see a doughy-nosed, bloodhound cheeked kid who was an excellent testing ground for new teasing material, but a real friend with whom I share more interests, worries, perspectives, and dreams than most anybody I know.

It was hard to have her move home while I knew I’d be staying. Neither of us are the type to talk much about our feelings (none of my family is, really), but there were a few conversations and notes there toward the end that communicated how grateful we both were for having the other close.

"Thank you for being a friend, Travel down the road and back again, Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant And if you threw a party, Invited everyone you knew, You would see the biggest gift would be from me And the card attached would say Thank you for being a friend "

I love my sisters and I love that we’re becoming better friends the older we get.