Healing Experiences: Swimming in the beautiful, clear water at Barton Springs (with lifeguards) and in our pool (now constantly watched).
Last Sunday my family saw a 10 year old girl almost drown. Last I heard she is in a medically induced coma. It was heart breaking. Only now, a week later, am I moving forward a bit out of the grief and regrets and and trying to learn something from this.
I want to forget; I never want to forget.
I will never again take my eyes off my children swimming, and I will look for the subtle signs of drowning in others. I wish I had known beforehand how very, very quickly and quietly a drowning can occur.
I have learned to be more wary of natural bodies of water; my overconfidence stemming from a lifetime spent swimming safely in oceans and lakes. My children will never swim in murky water again. (Thanks Mom and Dad for keeping us safe and having us wear life jackets).
I am hopeful that my children may be more cautious in water as they enter the teen age years.
I will not let self-doubt delay me from following my first instinct; I am so sorry I was not there sooner.
For a lot of this week, I felt literally weighed down with grief. It has been difficult to go to sleep, though I try so hard to focus my thoughts on something else images from Sunday haunt me. As time passes though, I feel more and more energized and on fire.
I will not take a day for granted. I will try to let small things go, and just love. I now feel deeply how fleeting our time is. I will not put off things I want to learn and do.
I will do all in my power so that if an emergency situation ever comes out of nowhere again, I will be ready. Yesterday, I got certified in CPR and first aid again for my postpartum work. I will keep current certification.
I will learn to swim faster and dive farther. I will become stronger.
I will tell all parents I come into contact with how quickly this can happen, how vigilant they must be. I will share tips for safe swimming. Please visit: http://www.colinshope.org/Resources/Safety/Documents/drowningtips_2011_english.pdf
My one ride last week... Thursday, June 9th: 14.1 miles in 49:55 (Pushed it; trying to clear my head.)
That is so scary, and so amazing that you are trying to learn so much from it. I am so glad that you are being really careful with your kids. We all love them too. You are an incredible sister, and I hope you will continue to make each day count. I love you!
ReplyDelete