Last year at her high school state championship meet, Gretchen unexpectedly finished 3rd in the 100 backstroke. It was her freshman year and she was psyched to be at finals and was just hoping to swim a best time. Finishing in the top 3 was never on her radar. When you finish in the top
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Holiday Ease 2024
Ever felt like you’re running on empty trying to make everyone else’s holidays magical? Listen… you can absolutely enjoy the holidays and prioritize yourself—both are possible, and you don’t need a PhD in Logistics to make it happen. But, let’s be honest—so often, we get stuck in the same cycle year after year: overcommitting, trying
The Kitchen Is Open
The kids were with their father for two weeks of vacation the second half of August. It’s the longest stretch of time I’ve ever been away from them. The weeks leading up to this were overwhelming with relatives visiting from Texas and swim meets in Florida and Virginia and a college move in North Carolina.
You’re either winning, or you’re learning.
For the past two summers I’ve been the pool director at a country club pool. I have a staff of 11 lifeguards – seven boys and four girls. Nine of the guards are college freshmen and sophomores, and two are high school seniors. This isn’t my first job as a country club pool director, but
The Trip of a Lifetime (Gretchen’s Paris Vacation)
In February of my junior year in high school I went to France on an exchange trip. For some reason I saved the program acceptance letter. I don’t know whose phone numbers are written across the top, and I have no idea who Harry is, but that’s definitely my brother’s handwriting. Fourteen students from my high
Grad Walk
The school district we live in does something pretty cool every year for the seniors. On one of the last days of school, they participate in the Grad Walk. All the seniors wear their caps and gowns and load onto busses at the high school. From there they go to the elementary school and the
