Life lessons

Elizabeth is starting swim team today, I think. I am so excited. She is not a sports person in any way but she has gotten alot better at swimming lately. I offered her a 100 dollars to do the cross country team but I guess she figured since she cant run two laps around the track it probably isnt the best idea. I was just trying to get her a better grade in PE its her worst subject actually. She was considering it but then found out she could still sign up for swim team so...either way it will be good for her. I know she could do either one, its just like her grades, Ill never forget her grandmother getting mad at me for telling her she was not coming home with a C on her next report card, and that a C was not a good grade(I had never actually met anyone that thought a c was a good grade). She told me that a C was a good grade and that not everybody was capable of making A's and B's., some peoples best was a C ( the thought had never occured to me actually) And while that MAY be true, she would never get an A if you told her the best she could do was a C. It just doent happen that way. I really dont remember where all the talk about a C came from becouse she had a D or an F in Math and an F in P.E. Elizabeth cried and told me that was unfare balah blah blah.. I told her she better get her but studying. She did.... I think she has been on the A,B honor roll ever since. She was so suprised the first time she got all A,s and B,s. I remember her talling me a few years ago when we were talking about it that she didnt think she could get good grades. She really thought she wasnt able. I really wouldnt have been mad or anything if she had gotten a C or even a D in math and PE becouse I understood she struggled with those subjects, It was just my intention to see for myself what she was capable of. If she would have come home with a B in everything else but those subjects after I saw her studying every day I would not have punished her I would have told her that we would keep trying. But I wasnt gonna tell her that! She had to fear the worst! In the end I was so proud of her becouse she really did give it her everything and she was proud of herself, I think that was the best part, I could see her opinion of herself changing. By fifth grade her friends were calling her for help in Math! ....I know that a kid as skinny as her could learn to run around a track. I mean how hard can it be to carry all of that 90 pounds around? Swimming will help with her endurance. So I think that I will make it my next task to help her be able to run a mile. I have never been much of a runner myself and although I was capable of it in school I really hated it so I can sympathize with the girl. But she can do it, I know whe can, I just have to convinvince her!