Water Sports

I had remembered reading something in a parenting magazine that children are natural born swimmers.
The article I read concerned women who gave birth in a bathtub, with the newborn swimming to the surface after coming out of Mommy.
A little far-fetched?  I wonder.
As a child, I was fearful of the water.  But at the same time, I wasn't encouraged at an early enough age to embrace it and truly give it a chance.
My wife on the other hand, is an excellent swimmer.  Having been participating on athletic teams all through her childhood, and even into adulthood, she's been conditioned to stay in shape throughout the years.
Not to mention the fact that she grew up in a sports-loving household.  It's all about survival.
Our daughter, now three years old, has been all too eager to show us her prowess in the swimming pool this past summer.
Using water-wings, she has been able to work her arms to the point where she can navigate fairly well in the pool, when we took our annual vacation down South.
And she takes advantages to sharpen her skills in the bathtub.
I've been filling it with more water than the usual in recent weeks, just to see her practice putting her face in the water so she can swim easier.
And she loves it.
"Daddy, watch me!" she says, as she enthusiastically plunges her tiny face into the water surface.
She's good.
She gets it from her mom.
We had taken her to a 'tumbling' class (precursor to gymnastics) at our local YMCA weeks ago, but she began to show a lack of interest.  So we asked if she wanted to take swimming lessons instead.
She embraced it with all aplomb.
We emphasized that it was important for her to stay focused and pay attention, because to not do so, would mean someone getting seriously hurt.
We also emphasized that she was going to learn how to be a better swimmer, and not to play.  And it was important for her to understand that she was there to learn and listen.
She learned.  And listened.
My wife takes her to swimming lessons each Wednesday.
And I stay informed of her progress.  Each week she gets better and better.
Before long, she'll be on the school diving team, I'm sure.
And even if she isn't, that's fine too.
Learning to swim never hurt anyone.
It can actually save one's life.
Your own or perhaps another's.
And that ain't bad.


NEXT WEEK:  Giving thanks