Swimming and the sharks we face-- self-determination and sunshine

Yesterday was a nice day. And I hope today will be, as well. Holly decided to trust her swim floaties and she is well on her way to swimming independently! What's amusing and endearing is the way she self-coaches: "Ok, Holly, you can do this!" and "C'mon, Holly, glide!" 

I don't think there's anything more adorable than that. And as ultimately useful: we should all learn to trust ourselves, not depend on others, to achieve our goals, right? And she was so proud! After we came in, she was crowing to Papa, "I was a brave kid!" And y'know what? She was. And is. 

As spicy as she is sometimes, I would much rather she be self-determined than a doormat. It'll stand her in good stead as she navigates the world, especially if the idiots who are proclaiming "Project 2025" win in the upcoming election. The list of "NOs" include no access to appropriate and necessary health care and health-care choices, no meaningful education, no arts, no voice. No compassion for those who have real needs for housing, food, and care. The list of "NOs" goes on and on and on... and mostly, it's to create a society that shoves women into boxes. Too often, those boxes are coffins. Infant mortality, domestic abuse, and other societal issues are on the rise in states that have abrogated basic rights, and not just in Texas, though if Texas is a  testing ground for the national playbook, it should worry us all.

It worries me a lot that she will potentially have to face such erosion of self-determination. Here at home, we will do our level best to combat all of that exclusionary, oppressive rhetoric. But the world has a louder voice than I do, most of the time. I can only hope that the lessons she is learning early on, coupled with her natural inclination to "do it myself!" will help her establish her own boundaries, her own sense of self-worth. 

What we need is sanity, sunshine, and more pool time. We need to listen to our inner voice, and trust that we can do a lot more than we think we can, with good sense and God's grace. We can, like Holly, be a "brave kid" more often than we know. And it seems that there's a likelihood we will need to be.

Have a good day,

C