This week marks the last days of swimming lessons which our girls have been attending twice a week since mid-June. Miss E starts at 9AM with Miss A to follow at 10AM. It’s an outdoor pool built in the 1930’s through the WPA in our small town. It has seen and taught generations of families on this rural and remote prairie of North Dakota. Today as I was home trying to kick strep throat and a fever with antibiotics and rest, I went to the pool to see the girls in their lessons. And today the pool taught another couple generations valuable life lessons, in and out of the pool.
At the end of lessons, the kids each have a chance to go to the deep end for a jump off the diving board. Miss E was hesitant. I was poolside tucked behind the slide watching and snapping photos.
She nervously walked out on the board and stopped short.
She wasn’t jumping. One of the teachers who happens to be our friend and she has babysat the girls, Grace, walked to visit with E. Then Grace walked off the board and clear down to the end of the pool to get something. During this time, Miss E walked off the back of the diving board and waited.
Grace returned with a belt with floats on it. She strapped it around E’s middle. It was a belt of confidence.
Miss E took to the board, walked boldly to the edge and with little hesitation this time…
She had her belt of confidence, a red float to land on and lifeguards watching. But it still took her to stand tall and make the leap into the deep waters.
Despite her hesitation and fears, she came back up again, holding to the float, with another teacher’s hand nearby to help in the deep waters.
Miss E was brave enough to jump into deep waters. But are we as adults willing to step out and jump into new waters, sometimes deep and lonely seeming waters?
I went home and thought of issues, causes, people and more that I care about and my willingness or unwillingness to stand up for what I think, believe in, want to defend or desire to change. Maybe with a little belt of confidence, like Miss E received from Grace, or knowing there will be a helping hand in the deep waters, I would make the plunge more often. We won’t always have success. But if we never try, if we never jump, we will never progress.
Whatever your plunge may be, stand tall, walk out and jump. Into the deep waters. No jump is too small or too large. Take the leap.
Linking up today…
Love this part “Whatever your plunge may be, stand tall, walk out and jump. Into the deep waters. No jump is too small or too large. Take the leap.”. Something we should all remember – thanks for the encouragement!
that leap of faith is hard, sometimes, but always nice to have a friend waiting to make sure you’re okay…
Good for Miss E. What a brave little soul
Mollyxxx
Way to go Miss E!
Great photos! Love how she plucked up the courage!
YAY Miss E. Going off the boards was always the hardest for me (still is) in all my swimming lessons. Isn’t it amazingly cool those young teachers. Absolutely awesome they are!
So excited and still can’t believe I’m going to BlogHer with you! I don’t think it will hit me until I land in NYC. It promises to be a great week. Can’t wait!