as many of you know, I am participating in a blog circle called Letters To Our Daughters with 15 other mothers/photographers. This past month I have not seen much of my daughter as she has been preparing for her High School State Swim Meet.
Dear Kayla,
Today is a very big day for you! I am not sure who is more nervous this morning, you or me! It has been almost 16 years since I gave birth to you in the hospital across the street from where you will swim today. There was no doubt that you would be a child who loved the water. You had zero choice in that matter since I myself am a fish out of water. You were first placed in a pool when you were only a month old. By the time you were 1 you were already jumping off the side of the pool and you loved going under water. When you were two years old I signed you up for swim lessons and you hated them! The instructor wanted you to hold on to a noodle and kick with your head above the water. You on the other hand wanted to jump in off the side and kick out to your teacher. You only attended two lessons before we allowed you to quit and you never had another lesson. In 1st grade you started swimming on a team at the YMCA and your life has never been the same!
As you prepare for your races today I want you to know that I am proud of the athlete you have become. You are strong, dedicated, determined, disciplined and most of all you are a compassionate and caring teammate! You have done everything you can do to prepare for this meet. So, I want you to relax and enjoy the day. You have earned your place at this meet and I can not wait to watch you do your thing! I know that your coaches have taken away your phone so that you can concentrate on the task at hand. If you are in need of a friendly face, you know all you have to do is look up in the stands and you will have one of the largest cheering sections complete with your face on a stick, your brother dressed completely in blue, and possibly even a foam finger being waved all in support of you and your team!
Love,
Mom
To continue reading the Letters To Our Daughters blog circle please visit Catherine McAteer’s blog.
8 Comments
Oh these are such rad photos! How proud you are of your beautiful girl!
These images are awesome! I love the water droplets and the sense of camaraderie is so touching. These are beautiful 🙂
Ok so this one truly brought tears to my eyes. I played a lot of sports as a teenager so I can totally feel her nervous excitement and dediction and now that I’m a mom I can feel your pride and nervousness for her. My mom used to close her eyes when I was ski racing or watch from the bottom so she would know when she saw me that I would finish ok. Now I understand why! Congratulations and good luck to you both! PS. Amazing shots of your daughter and her teammates.
Wow! Love the pictures and such an encouraging letter on a special day for you both!
Your pictures are wonderful! What a great job of showing the connection in the team and the excitement and emotion of the day. The pictures with the water bubbles are amazing!
What an awesome letter and exciting time for both of you! I remember my mom at every single one of my track meets as a high schooler. I am sure these letters and your presence and support are things she won’t ever forget!
The images with the water are sooooooo good! I love them! would love to know how you shot them! Good luck to your daughter on her upcoming competition!
What a powerful post! Amazing images, especially the first. This will be something your daughter will treasure.