Swimming

Its one of the pleasures of summer. It brings joy, fun and contentment. It allows the freedom fly through the air and hang weightlessly after landing. Yet to me, it brought fear, trepidation, and hyperventilation. 

Large bodies of water and I have had a timid relationship my whole life. I would allow myself to be near it as long as it behaved itself. As soon as my vulnerable face slipped below the water without the preparation of a deep breath or if I lost my footing on the bottom, panic would ensue. 

This past week and a half I've had the opportunity to house sit for some dear friends who have a neighborhood pool. I've been house sitting with a good friend of mine who set her mind to teaching me how to swim.

She started off by having me practice putting my face in the water (plugging my nose of course). We evolved to throwing myself under the water and slowly allowing my body to come back to the surface. I practiced opening my eyes under the water, blowing bubbles and seeing how long I could hold my breath. (Yes, these are all things that a 4-year old can do)

This past Friday, after all my exercises, I swam. Its still a bit awkward and uncomfortable, but nevertheless, I did it. I was floored. I never before believed I could really do it. I want to keep practicing so I can be more and more comfortable in the water. This has opened a whole new world of opportunities for me.