My oldest had his worst swim lesson to date yesterday. The frustration of mastering the back float got to him. There were tears and not listening to his teacher that was really due to some embarrassment over swallowing water when his mouth should have been closed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Isn’t that how meltdowns always begin? One tiny little detail that tips the scales.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A huge part of me wanted to tell him to buck up and that his tears were silly. Praise the Lord his teacher was in the water and not me. I watched as she gently spoke to him. She listened, got to the bottom of why he was upset, and looked him in the eyes to tell him what a good job he was doing.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Turns out, floating on your back and trusting the water to keep you afloat when you’ve never done it before isn’t easy. And accidentally swallowing water is embarrassing.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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And so, milkshakes. For when you feel beat up before 11am and your mom learns a valuable lesson of her own.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And so, milkshakes. A tangible reminder of love not based on performance. A post swim lesson celebration when we feel like failures.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And so, milkshakes. The redemptive love of Jesus in my place on display for my little one’s heart as much as my own.

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