The girl on the diving board: A back-to-school reflection

It was a sunny day with a gentle breeze, the kind of summer day you simply can’t spend inside. I was at the pool, soaking up the last bits of summer, holding onto these days of warmth and sunshine.

As I scanned the pool, I noticed a young girl climbing up onto the diving board. She looked like she was 5 or 6. What struck me was not her size, but her hesitation. She was creeping along slowly, tentatively, moving inch by inch toward the end of the long white board.

As the novice diver moved along, an older girl was calling out encouragement to her from the pavement by the side of the pool. It was so sweet how much the other child was cheering her on.

You could see the fear on the swimmer’s face. But you could also see that she was planning to leap. She was moving slowly, but she was moving steadily. She was going to dive.

She reached the end of the diving board and crouched down, looking tentatively into the depths of the water below. For a moment, I thought she might not go through with it. But then it happened. She made a leap into the air and down—splash—into the water. Soon enough, she was back at the surface, dog paddling to the edge as she called out happily to her friend who was still watching.

I admired her courage. I applauded her determination. I marveled at what might have motivated her to take this step. Had her friend told her how amazing it would feel to take that dive? Had she always wanted to try it? Was she inspired because the pool season is about to end? If she wanted to dive this year, today might be the very day to try.

I loved watching her being brave. And I found myself wondering, had she walked out on that diving board before and decided not to jump? Had she taken a dive before but was still scared to try again? I’ll never know.

But today she was brave. Today she is brave. And she made me think about how we dig deep and find courage at different times in our lives.

Especially as the summer ends and a new school year begins, I am thinking of how our children rise to the occasion and dig deep to try new things. They plunge into harder classes and new social settings. They take on extracurricular activities that might stretch them and help them grow. They find themselves studying in a classroom with stricter standards or more complicated assignments. It’s a time of change and the start of another chapter in life.

This year, as our first child headed off to college, I am the one standing on that diving board looking down into the depths. I know he will be fine—and better than fine. But as a mother, I don’t feel ready. I see the waters swirling around below, and I want to creep back to the safety of land. But I also know there are wondrous discoveries and successes and joys that he will discover on the marvelous adventure that is college.

I’m full of pride and hope and excitement. And I’m full of trepidation and worry because I am a mother. I have faith and still I worry.

Last Sunday, in the Gospel reading, Jesus said to Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” And I found myself thinking that question is a question for now—for our child, as he begins a new adventure, but also for me as his mother.

Motherhood is like a rushing river, changing every minute, every hour, every year. And this year brings the biggest change so far for our family. My identity in my role as a mother is shifting. It’s a good change. I am honored and thrilled to be here to witness it. But there is also a change, a loss, and some grief that comes with it.

But like the little girl on the diving board, I am trying to be brave. And I have faith that all will be well. The truth is that I am not standing on the end of the board. I’ve already plunged into the newness of this season, even if I didn’t jump all that willingly into that pool. I’m dog paddling through the water to reach the edge, and I’m feeling the thrill of new beginnings—even if I will also get a little teary if you ask me how quiet the house is.

I hope that little swimmer found as much joy in her courageous dive as it looked like she had, as she climbed out of the pool, with her wet hair and pride in her eyes. This will be a year of joys and struggles, new knowledge and discoveries, and growth in a thousand ways.

I hope whatever this new school year brings for our young people and their families, they know God is with them. And I hope they find joy in being brave.

Happy new school year. God bless all the students, teachers, and everyone cheering them on.

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