How surrender can be stronger than control

PICTURE a quiet Saturday afternoon, the outdoor pool, blue spring skies, a hint of summer warmth, the scene: tranquil.

- Faith Ennette Lainchbury

The swimming? Less serene. But I'm getting there.Cue a flashback to 11-year-old me in the “Dolphin” team - fast, confident, slicing through the water.

Now, my swimming is more breathless, less graceful and definitely not fast. Pensioners glide past me while I splutter in lane three. Children cannonball into the water without hesitation. Meanwhile, I stand at the edge, self-soothing and whispering to myself, “Ennette you are swimming not drowning” as I wrestle my 4c hair into a swimming cap. In these moments, it feels like everyone else seems to float by me effortlessly, while I flail about (Was there ever a more apt metaphor for adult life?)