Everything happens for a reason, Issue 31

Lindsey Sowitch, Mullen Junior
Junior Lindsey Sowitch was staring at quite promising opportunities as a swimmer over multiple months. But when the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit, precious pool time went away … along with a lot of everything else in her world. No matter. In writing for Mullen Today’s Unordinary Times, the Mustangs star covers making the best of bad situations, never giving up and looking confidently toward the future.
I thought I would have had the opportunity to swim at Speedo Sectionals in March and the Speedo Grand Challenge in May. Months of training, early mornings and late nights were going into a few-minute swim. I would have never believed I could not get the opportunity to compete in front of college coaches, see my friends or watch my sister graduate.

For now, I resort to swimming a few miles every day in a nearby lake. The black line that was once on the bottom of the pool is now murky water and the comfortable pool water temperature has turned into frigid, glacial waves. The surrounding sand has become my gym and my swimsuit is now a bulky and heavy wetsuit.

If I have learned one thing from these past few months, it is that everything happens for a reason.

Life comes in waves. Often times, we experience guilt or remorse as a result of thinking we could have controlled an outcome or done something differently. This is an opportunity to focus on what you can control, and to not just react, but to choose your reaction and make it positive. The way we act towards others and how we treat ourselves during this time will define who we are, who we want to be, and who we are becoming. By accepting the reality of the circumstances, we will not only empower ourselves, but also those around us.

It might be demanding to think there is a reason behind the world being in a state of turbulence. However, it is often during the lowest times in life where we re-emerge as better individuals with the spirit and determination to make the world a better place.

So for now, I will continue to dress in a wetsuit and stare at the olive-green, numbing waters because there is a reason behind it. I am becoming a unique person, friend, teammate and classmate in all that I do. I am using this time as an opportunity and creating a positive reaction for a situation that is out of my control. 

We are all being given every reason to give up, but I know we won’t. Our Mullen community is strong, supporting and successful.

We will ride the waves in the waters, whether they are low or high.

Together we will continue to grow and realize the reason we were put into this situation.
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