Nonie Rand
Dear Judy,
What if I had been there fifteen seconds later? Thirty? What if I had been talking to one of the moms next to me and had not seen it at all? I sat shivering under a blanket of summer stars, not from the eighty degree June night, but from the what ifs that darted into my head and the physiological response that came with them – fear, adrenaline and real terror.
My precious love. My beautiful not yet three year old daughter was drowning in a kiddy pool, two feet away from two life guards on a slow day at a private health club. Fortunately, it was me, her mom, who rescued her from death with her 8 month old sister in my arms. I took many precautions that day – none of which were enough. I struggle, wanting to go into the details, trying to justify myself but at the end of the day, I realized I am, and was, utterly fallible. I learned that this very human trait in a mother can cost a life. I could have lost everything. What could have been tragic, was “only” traumatic. Luckily it was life changing and not life ending.
Haven said it best that night in a confused and scared voice, “I tried to get up mommy, but I couldn’t. The water was all around me. I couldn’t stand up.” She couldn’t stand up, or get up to the surface, and she didn’t know what to do because I had not ensured that my little girl had those skills to survive in the water. Instead, what I had done with her for over two years was sing songs, blow bubbles and play in classes that were not only a waste of time, but money as well. In that moment of regret, I also experienced relief; this is something she could learn! I had the power to give Haven the ability to save her own life and feel confident in water – anytime.
The panic in Haven’s eyes, as she flailed two feet under water, belly up, will remain with me forever. I decided that no amount of fear would come close to compare with the terror Haven and I felt on that dreadful day. It is that memory that gave me the courage and really tough love to enroll all three of my children in Infant Aquatic Survival, under your guidance and in the safe hands of your instructors.
And so, a few days after the accident, I spent three hours on deck at Infant Aquatics, watching ten minute lessons of countless children and babies alike. I recommend doing this to anyone interested in the program. What I found, and you will surely see, is a real camaraderie of parenthood. We all love and cherish our babies and that is why we stand by as our little ones struggle to learn this awesome life skill. We do not stand alone, and we are not quiet in the process. The parents encourage other parents and every child in the water with the same intensity and goodwill they have for their own. The atmosphere my children felt in the pool was even warmer than the one I experienced on deck.
The instructors are warm, loving and beautifully bonded to each child. Carlene would kiss the babies on the forehead to praise their hard work in the water while whispering encouragement and affirmations in their ear. Cynthia was fun and always giggling with the children – almost singing their next instruction. These women are moms and are there to equip each child, emotionally and physically, with grace and love. They first earn the trust of the child, and then the child learns to trust him/herself in the water.
Infant Aquatics is all about conquering the what ifs. What if your child falls into a pond with a snowsuit and boots on? What if your child is in rapid water – will she know how to float despite the current? What if your child reaches for the edge of the pool and misses and sinks deep? The instructors gently put my 8 month old, along with Haven and her 4 year old brother, into these and other possible scenarios, with a successful outcome for each child in a matter of weeks. Haven, in particular, found her inner confidence. She has learned that no matter where, or when, she can “get up” in the water.
