Every person has their own way of defining humility. For me, it is living each day feeling honored for the  gifts and lifestyle I have, and knowing that at any minute, it could be taken away. At Xavier High School, we learn about humility everyday in our theology classes, but acting with humility is a lot easier said than done.

I started swimming when I was five years old. I joined the swim team because it was the popular thing to do at the time. During my first race, I was that one child who finished over a minute after the rest of the swimmers. I was the swimmer everyone clapped for out of pity. Instead of crying because I was discouraged, I decided I was going to work harder so I would never get last place again. I began attending all practices in order to not place last.

After my family moved back to Iowa, I became committed to swimming. Instead of coming in last place, I began to get first. I would win trophies and medals at my swim meets; that’s when I realized I was pretty good. Once I reached middle school, I became one of the best swimmers in the state in some of my races, but I was becoming too conceited and consumed in the glory. I started slacking off in practices and would constantly brag about how good I was.

A couple months before freshman year, I was admitted to the hospital due to hydronephrosis of one of my kidneys (a serious condition I was born with and needed surgery to correct at two years of age).  A stent was placed in my kidney to help it drain for several weeks. After my recovery, I was back in the water, but I didn’t swim the same as I had before the surgery. I had lost a lot of my speed and skills. I was no longer on top, but instead, my younger sister was beating me in races. I could no longer brag about how good I was because I had no proof to back it up.

Eventually, I started working my way back to where I was, but I have never fully gotten back to the place I once was at. Despite losing some of my swimming abilities, I gained something even greater: humility.  I had forgotten many of my skills had come from hard work and not natural talent. It took time and effort in order for me to succeed as much as I did, and I completely forgot about that struggling five-year-old girl.

From this experience, I learned to no longer brag about anything, whether it’s school or swimming. We can have it so good, but in an instant, it can all be taken away from us. I learned to enjoy the moment and never take anything for granted. Throughout all my tribulations, I have learned how to live my life with humility.

Sarah Gannon

Opinion Writer