Monday, September 20, 2010

The Boy Can Swim!

This is a picture of Joshua.
The boy who was terrified of putting his face in the water come June, let alone his whole head.
By September he is a little fish, scooping up rings from the bottom of the pool.
Thanks to his beautiful and very pregnant swim teacher, Mrs. Sumer Johnson,
Who's patience, love, and encouragement,  helped him every step of the way.
And of course her giant tubof Red Vines deserves some credit.
Who knew Red Vines included a magical ingredient that will  make kids do anything, even the seemingly impossible.
"Joshua you can have one Red Vine if you put your eyes in the water."
"OOOOOOOOOOkay." This boy had a lot of determination and was willing to overcome his fears.
There were tears along the way, uncomfortable moments like,
Getting use to the sensation of water in your ears when you are lying on your back.
Mostly there were lots of smiles,
Beams of joy,
Complete trust,
And of course Red Vines.
We are so proud of Joshua and how he worked to overcome his fear.
"I'm scared to put my head in the water."
Are words that have disappeared from his lips.
It makes me smile to see him so happy in the water just like the other kids.
To hear him laugh when he gets splashed,
Instead of turning away and
Screaming as if he is in some sort of pain,
Is like music  to my ears.
Once again I feel hopeful and confident, that this boy can do anything he sets his mind to
And that I should never under estimate his ability to conquer anything.

2 comments:

  1. WAY TO GO JOSHUA!! I am so proud of him! He is so awesome and continually reminds me that I can overcome the "scary" things in my life too. Love him. Love you.

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  2. That is AMAZING!!! You know I love swimming stories! I also can't believe you can still swim there, our pools are all closed :(. What a great teacher, and who knew Red Vines had such powers?

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