Hi my loves. So yesterday I got to thinking and I came up with life lesson numero tres to share with you guys. Here it is: Don't take anything for granted.
Here's the back story as to how I came up with this life lesson. I am a swimmer. It's my senior year and I'm a captain. It's been great. Last year my shoulder was giving me a problem when I did backstroke. This year it has gotten worse. Now it bothers me during freestyle and backstroke. Not only does it bother me during swimming, but it is starting to bother me during school. It hurts to take on and off a jacket, to put up my hair, almost anything. I'm very uncomfortable. So I went to see the trainer. She told me to ice it and keep coming back. So I did.
This past Thursday, December 12th, was our first meet. An event I was put in was the 400 Freestyle Relay. All I had to do for this relay was swim 100 Freestyle. It's 4 laps. I wasn't too worried about it. I did it, but got out sobbing. My shoulder hurt so bad. So I went back to the trainer on Friday. She asked me how my shoulder was, I said it was worse. She told me to sit out practice on Friday. I hate sitting out and watching people swim. It really sucks. But I did it. Then I rested the weekend and went back yesterday. Same routine. I had to sit out again.
Then two more kids from my team were in the trainer's office when I was. They were getting reevaluated from Friday and were cleared to swim a normal practice again. They were complaining that they actually had to swim and couldn't take it easy. They couldn't slack off yesterday. One was a senior and one was a freshman. I told them at least they could swim. That they should be thankful they get to. It's my senior year and I don't know when I will be able to swim again because I don't know what's wrong with me. And it sucks.
Then I was on Twitter today and found a picture that summed up everything that I have been feeling the past few days. Here it is:
"Athletes: Don't take the sport you play for granted. Every time you play, you better be damn thankful that you get to do something you love. Don't show up to practice complaining about not wanting to be there; you're there hopefully because you love it. Work hard every moment. If you're not working hard, you don't deserve to play. Play every practice or game like it's your last because it very well could be. When you finally reach the day that you can't play, and you can only watch, then you will know how much you love something that you once took for granted."
Sitting out during those practices made me realize how lucky I was to be able to swim all these years and made me hope that soon I will be cleared to practice normally again. I got X-rays done on my shoulder today, so hopefully I will be swimming normally soon. Fingers crossed!
xoxo, Hayley
