True Blue

True blue

What does that mean to you?

from dictionary.com it means

Loyal, faithful, as in You can count on her support; she's true blue. This expression alludes to the idea of blue being the color of constancy, but the exact allusion is disputed. One theory holds it alludes to the unchanging blue sky, another to the fastness of a blue dye that will not run. Blue has been the identifying color of various factions in history. In the mid-1600s the Scottish Covenanters, who pledged to uphold Presbyterianism, were called true blue (as opposed to red, the color of the royalists). In the 1800s the same term came to mean "staunchly Tory," and in America, "politically sound."

I'm a word geek. I love words. I love the nuances. I love how, with just the right word, you can say so much, with so little.

Which brings me to the word or should I say phrase of the day.

True Blue.

First of all I LOVE the Scottish connection. WOOT...shoutout to my daddy's side of the family.

So why this phrase?

Because my boys brought home the hardware or software in the form of ribbons, from last night's swim meet. My boys? They placed first in every single event in which they were entered. 4 blue ribbons each.

And because my boys showed me once again how much heart, how true blue, they are at their core.

I can't take too much credit here, or can I?

I really think most of what they are...it is innate and I should be used to this by now. Yes Lisa, you have fish for children. They come by it honestly. Yes Lisa, your boys seem to have some internal moral compass that you support.

Okay so that's the nature.

And then there's the nurture, which I and their daddy and extended family and caregivers and so on and so forth can totally take credit for collectively as a whole.

Nature vs Nurture. Why is this an either or? It's not. It's a delicate dance between the two.

A delicate dance that takes my breath away.

Swim team. It's just summer league folks, I know that. But there are some seriously powerful life lessons bubbling to the surface, along the rough and wet decks of any neighborhood pool, on any given evening on swim meet nights.

Watching my boys? It's how I think I would feel if I could swim with dolphins. (strangely enough that's our team mascot)

They are so sure of their strength and their ability, my boys.

The leap off the block, the arch as they parallel the surface, the slice through the water, the smooth, powerful stroke of their little boys arms. It is pure bliss to behold.

Bliss I tell you. Bliss and awe. THAT was formed in my womb? THAT carries my DNA? THAT is it's OWN complete and totally unique being? ROCK ON!

Mommy induced hormone seque over, we return to present day.

It is what happens after the race that inspires this blogging moment(s)

When my little boys drape their arms around their team mates who didn't win and say "You ALMOST beat me and I bet you might beat me next time."

When one of my boys hears another team mate start a little "trash" talkin about the other team (we're undefeated)and steps in and says,"It's not nice to say mean things. I have friends on that team"

Followed by, just so you know my kids, like their momma are NOT perfect "Did I say you could play with my Gameboy? NO! GIVE it to me MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

When through sheer will, your boys swim up an age level in a relay, and win some critical points for the team. "Sure Coach Celeste. I'll swim. What stroke am I doing? Am I only going 25 yards? Okay cool. Can I throw you in the pool if we win??"

That's heart.

That's strength.

THAT'S true blue.