Yesterday was Benjamin’s 2nd swim meet.

He’s been doing a GREAT job swimming this season.

As a 5 year old little boy, he is the youngest on the swim team, and he really tries his VERY best to swim as fast as he can. But… he is 5 years old. And his little arms and legs only go so fast.

I also knows it’s not easy being the 3rd boy, when it really comes to anything. The boys are all so close in age, it’s tough seeing them compare themselves to each other. William and Alex are awesome swimmers… and I always have my little Ben saying to me, “Someday I’m going to be faster than them.”

And I do what I do to all of them… I smile and whisper, “I know.”

The last 2 swim meets for Ben, I’ve stood on the side of the pool with tears in my eyes. Proud tears. The little kid has heart. He JUST learned to swim this past summer and he was so excited to make the winter swim team this season with his brothers. He felt like such a big boy. I see him in his little bathing suit, in his cap and goggles and my heart melts. He loves it.

As he got ready for his first race yesterday, my heart was beating fast.

With Benjamin… it’s not about the time, it’s about him finishing… that’s the goal. His first race was the 25 yard backstroke yesterday. Both his brothers stood on the side of the pool cheering for him, and he had a FULL cheering section with me, Matt, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. As he the gun went off… Ben lunged in and started his backstroke. It was his FIRST time doing backstroke in a race.

I stood there going, “Go Ben!!!”

There was a woman next to me, sitting with another woman. She pointed to Ben and said, “Looks like he’s about to sink. Look at him!”

She didn’t say it rudely, but it wasn’t also meant as a complement. Almost a comment like, “Why is he swimming?” And it hurt me. That’s MY BEN.

I politely turned to her and said, “That’s my son.” I smiled and joked, “Don’t put the word sinking out there… that’s the last thing we want him to do!”

The woman wanted to die.

You know when you say something and you never (in a million years) think that the MOM would be next to you.

She quickly tried to back peddle… “I didn’t mean sink, I meant… look how good he’s doing.”

I couldn’t help it. I responded back, “He’s 5 years old, trying backstroke for the first time. I’m so proud of him.”

I could tell she knew I was insulted, so she said, “Oh… believe me, my son’s up soon, too! I don’t want him to sink either” with a smile.

I just leaned and said, “Don’t worry about it… you didn’t know his mother would be sitting next to you.”

I’m still a little upset as I write this.

I pounced like a Mama Bear!

My mother was behind me and said to me, “You handled that better than I could have!” when the woman walked away.

I just looked at my mom and said, “You get it mom… don’t go there with a mother.”