Learning to Swim

Today I have felt like singing “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King. When I was 9 months old, a 16 year old girl named Lori Lovett gave me swimming lessons. Fast forward 14 years, and my mom and her client Lori Tradup are in the car driving down the road. My mom drives by this swimming school and says “my daughter Shay used to take lessons there when she was little”. Lori proceeds to scream with excitement that she gave a baby girl lessons at that school named Shay…we all go home and my mom finds pictures of Lori teaching me to swim. Small world, huh?

So, I feel an instant bond to this woman and start babysitting her 6 month old son on a regular basis. Then she has another one; then I’m going on family vacations with them; then to all family weddings; then I practically move in because they live only 15 minutes from my tiny dorm room; then her kids are both in my wedding…she and I are like sisters now. In fact, I know that God gave me her as a special gift. She has been through it all with me (her sweet husband too). They are family. They are WONDERFUL!

And today, she began teaching Kensington how to swim. 27 years later…it’s the circle of life.

There she goes!!!