Never Grow Up

in her eyes. “What about you, Mandy?”
“I’m going to be an Olympic swimmer!” Mandy pretended to be at the end of a diving board, her knees bent, hands stretched out. She dropped the pose. “That’s basically what I’m training for now on the swim team.”
Liza grinned at Mandy. “I’ll be there when you win your medal.” She patted Kari’s back. “Let’s say we all go!”
“Okay.” Kari sighed. “Time shouldn’t be a problem. Since I won’t be working.”
“Perfect.” Liza clapped a few times. She grabbed Mandy’s hand and held it up. “You’ll win the gold medal, Mandy! I can see it now. The swim team reunited at the Olympics.”
This isn’t helping, Kari thought. “I’m going to talk to Ms. Nan…” Kari stood and walked to her teacher’s desk. She held out her blank piece of paper. “I’m having a problem.” She didn’t want to cry, but she was close.
Ms. Nan leaned closer to Kari. “What is it?”
Kari pointed to the empty page. “I don’t know what I want to do… when I grow up.” She sniffed. “I might… need a little more time.”
“Of course, Kari.” Ms. Nan came around the desk. She put her hand on Kari’s shoulder. “This assignment isn’t meant to overwhelm you. It’s supposed to be fun!” Ms. Nan kneeled down so she could look at Kari’s eyes. “This essay isn’t going to decide your future. You may pick something and change your mind. And that’s okay.”
Kari nodded.
Ms. Nan handed Kari back her empty paper. “Why don’t you get me an outline by Monday.” She smiled. “How does that sound?”
“Really?” Kari looked straight at her teacher. “Ms. Nan, that would be the greatest gift.”
“Remember… it’s supposed to be fun!” Ms. Nan winked. “You can do this.”
“Thank you, Ms. Nan.” Kari took a deep breath and felt the weight leave her shoulders. She was very thankful for this chat with her teacher. And even more thankful for her teacher’s kindness. Kari made her way back to her desk.
“Feel better?” Mandy gave Kari an understanding smile.
Kari nodded. “Much.”
“Good!” Liza looked relieved. “Last swim meet of the season tonight. We need to be in fine form.”
“Oh, don’t worry!” Mandy took her pose again. “I’m always in fine form.”
The swim meet! Kari had forgotten all about it. She had to work on her outline. Plus, she had hoped the three of them could stay after school to practice their “Under the Sea” dance.
Instead she was actually going to be under the sea—in the city swimming pool.
By the time Kari and her family walked into the rec center’s indoor pool, Kari felt sick. The last thing she wanted was to swim tonight.
Sure, swimming had been fun at first. Kari had met Mandy and Liza that way. But now she was just sticking out the season because she didn’t want to disappoint her friends. Deep down Kari didn’t like swimming indoors. She didn’t care for the chlorine smell in her hair; and she hated feeling cold after she got out of the pool.
She wondered if Mandy knew how many hours she would need to spend in this place to make it to the Olympics.
Kari’s family found a spot in the bleachers and she walked toward her team. “I’m nervous.” She set her bag down next to Liza’s and Mandy’s.
“Why?” Liza stretched one arm, then the other. “We’ll be fine.”
Kari shook out her legs to loosen them up. “I’m distracted. The outline. The essay. The talent show. The meteor shower.”
“You can’t do any of those things right now.” Mandy took a sip of water and adjusted her swim cap. “My mom always says, ‘Do the next thing because that’s all you can do.’ ”
Do the next thing. Kari ran those words through her mind a few times. “I like that, Mandy. Do the next thing.” She looked at the pool a few feet away. “Right now the next thing is the swim meet!”
“Exactly.” Mandy grinned. “Everything else will still be there later.”
“Wow!” Liza nodded. “I’m going to use that one next time we have a math test. I missed a problem on the last one.” She put her hands on her hips. “I never miss a problem.”
The girls jumped in the pool and Kari put her goggles on. “Do the next thing,” she whispered. Then she began swimming her warm-up laps. Because that was next.
During the relay, Kari’s brain focused better than it had all day. Because there was room in her head now, that’s why. Her whole attention was on swimming. This new way of thinking was a gift, the one she had asked God for! At one point she even imagined she was a mermaid blazing through the water.
Not till she finished her leg of the race and she was out of the pool did she hear how loud everyone was cheering. Especially her family.
“Kari, you’re the best!” Ashley was jumping up and down, waving her hands. “Everyone! That’s my sister right there!”
“She’s my sister, too!” Luke also jumped around.
Kari waved at them. She really did have the best family ever.
Just then Coach Miller ran up. “Kari! That was your fastest time of the season!” She high-fived Kari. “Come on, let’s cheer for Liza!”
Liza blazed through the water like usual. But this time she seemed a little faster, too. Cheryl swam the third leg. Cheryl was in a different class in school, but she was nice. This might not have been her day, because their relay team slipped to third place after Cheryl’s swim.
Ashley and Liza and Coach Miller surrounded her as she climbed out of the pool. “Good job!” Kari clapped. “You did your best!”
Mandy was next. She had to move them from third place to first if they were going to win.
“You can do it, Mandy!” Coach Miller cupped her hands around her mouth, her shout filled the building.
“Go, Mandy!” Kari and Liza and Cheryl all yelled at the same time. “Faster!”
Bit by bit, Mandy actually did it. She moved into second place and then just before she touched the wall