Thank you Caitlin for your charming story!
Thank you Unsplash for the photo by Julieann Ragojo
Once upon a splashy summer, Caitlin landed her first job as a lifeguard.
She loved the water, worshiped the sunshine, and had a special place in her heart for all the little fish she would watch over for the summer. It was indeed a sparkling match made at the community pool.
Now, there was a strict rule at the pool. Before anyone was permitted to go into the deep end, they had to prove to Caitlin they could swim the entire length of the pool and back. No exceptions! This swim could be done in any style, as long as it was a swim. For most kids, it was as easy as a seal sea-surfing.
One sunny afternoon, an announcement called all the children to line up and show Caitlin their water skills. Everyone was doing swimmingly! Some children were gliding through the water like graceful four-winged flying fish. Others painfully propelled themselves forward by slapping their little fins so hard on the water it was difficult to see the child through the splashing. And a few sluggishly floated on their backs with the occasional frog kick to inch them forward, dreamily reaching the other side.
All was going well in the pool of strokes and splashes.
With three children left in line, it was little Charlie’s turn to take the plunge. He had confidence in his eyes and vibrant fish swim shorts to match. Charlie marched to the edge of the pool, slapping his little feet on the pavement to purposely splatter the puddles along the way. At the edge, Charlie posed straight, strong, and solid, like he was an Olympic athlete. He scanned his audience for a moment…possibly sizing up the competition and pulled down his oversized goggles to cover his eyes. Charlie filled his lungs with a large breath, pinched his nose and, with the courage of a true champion, he leapt up high in the air with all his might. Charlie plunged into the pool with his feet leading the way. It was a superstar jump!
Charlie sank faster than a pirate’s treasure chest.
Caitlin’s pulse pounded as she anxiously watched for him to resurface. How much time should she give him? Caitlin wanted to allow Charlie the opportunity to succeed. She did not want to embarrass him, but through the clear water, she could see that Charlie was not moving!
Caitlin dove into the depths of the shallow end like a superhero mermaid and scooped up Charlie from the bottom. She shot up through the water with Charlie in her arms, leaving bubbles in her trail.
When they got to the surface, there was a large crowd. All the playing froze as everyone watched Charlie cough and spit up water for several minutes. He held onto Caitlin tightly, not wanting to let go.
Caitlin relieved to see him breathing normally, could not help but ask the question on everyone’s mind.
“Charlie, can you swim?” she asked.
Charlie shrugged his shoulders and then shook his head no.
Perplexed, Caitlin continued, “Then why on earth did you jump in if you couldn’t swim, my friend?”
This question triggered a slightly noticeable but mischievous grin, and Charlie replied with an obvious tone, “Because everyone else did…”
Whatever prompted Charlie to jump in, whether it was a leap of faith, a brave act of a spirited five-year-old or elementary peer pressure, Caitlin could not tell. Kids can be quite a mystery sometimes!
Caitlin found Charlie’s parents in the park, told them about the scary incident, and encouraged them to sign their son up for lessons. Except now Charlie had the timidness of a turtle. He was never, ever dipping as much as the tip of his toe in the water again, not in a puddle, not in his bathtub and certainly not in a pool.
Determined to turn this daunting near disaster into a swimming success, Caitlin took it upon herself to teach young Charlie how to swim. Day after day, stroke after stroke, Caitlin patiently guided Charlie’s transformation from a water-sinking stone into a confident little tadpole. And by the end of that sun-soaked summer, Charlie was doing cannonballs, diving like a dolphin, and darting around with the other sharks in the deep end of the pool.
So, little friends everywhere… remember this tale of bravery, the magic of determination and the treasure of a teacher. Even if you sink like a rock at first, with a bit of help, some practice, and a whole lot of laughter, you can conquer any challenge that comes your way. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll make waves in the Olympics, surf the whitecaps of the oceans or even become a lifeguard like Caitlin…. just be sure to keep a whale’s eye out for those who plummet into a situation that will get them in over their head.
Thank you Unsplash for the photo by Ranae Smith