Dear Swimmer,
This is something I used to tell my son growing up. Life doesn’t let anyone stay dry. We all end up in the water at some point, and how we face it becomes our story.
If you’ve found your way to the Loula blog, then welcome. You’re family now. And family shares what got them through.
So here goes.
Some people spend their whole lives just treading water. Barely keeping their heads up. Worn out, not because they’re doing anything wrong but because life is just that heavy sometimes. And honestly, just staying afloat is something to be proud of.
Some people figure out how to swim. It’s not always graceful, but they learn to move forward. Bit by bit. Breath by breath. They build strength, they learn to breathe through the chaos, and they start to find their rhythm.
Others find something to hold on to. A float, a helping hand, a resource, a lifeline. Something that helps them stay up when they’re too tired to do it alone. It doesn’t make the water disappear, but it keeps them from going under.
Some people start to sink. They lose strength. They slip beneath the surface. But then, when they hit the bottom, something shifts. They push off with everything they’ve got. They rise back up and break through just long enough for air. Just long enough to keep going. And sometimes, that’s everything.
And then there are the ones who become Olympic swimmers. Not because it was easy, but because they never stopped moving. They crash through waves. They face the storms. They decide the shore is theirs, and nothing will stop them from reaching it.
But here’s the truth. Every single one of us has to go through the water. That’s the part nobody escapes.
Life is hard for everybody. It isn’t fair for anyone, which kind of makes it fair for everyone.
So if today you’re floating, swimming, gasping for air, or pushing through with power in every stroke, you’re still in the water. You’re still going.
Keep going.
From another swimmer who knows the water too.
The Beginning