Swim to Sandy

I've read that we live in an age without rites and rituals, but in our family we do have at least one pre-adolescent ritual, and that is the swim to Sandy Island.  The swim had more significance when I was a child, because after a successful swim my grandfather allowed us to ride in the motorboat without wearing a life jacket.  But now, with the state government regulating that anyone 12 and under must wear a life jacket, the swim is not quite as big a deal.  But, the kids still get the satisfaction of completing the swim, along with a cool $20 bill from Grandpa (and somehow my kids have managed to mix in a trip to the candy counter at the Old Country Store).

Last year, although she was fully capable of swimming the distance (about 1/3 of a mile), Clara had a swim early in the summer that was so cold she aborted her attempt.  So this year she tried again and did it with no problem at all, laughing and talking the entire way.