21/04/2021
When was your last “first”?
We took Sadie for her first swim a few weekends ago. The water was cold. I held her tight against my chest as I waded in, not 100% sure what to do next. I saw a dad across the way dunking his tiny son up and down in the water and it gave me some courage. I lowered her legs into the water and she let out a wail. Outrage. Shock. Horror! Ah! Ok! I lifted her up. She hates this. It’s too cold. I should take her back in! But I squeezed her tight and waited. Then I tried again.
A little bit better.
So I stood up again, waited, and then I tried again. Wayyyy better. She was calm. I began to wade around, swishing her this way and that. She didn’t know what to make of it really, but she didn’t cry. Lots of new sensations, lots of kids having fun splashing about to watch.
We’ve gone swimming three more times since...to a bay, a pool and back to the creek. She’s never cried again. She trails her hand in the water now and watches the shapes it makes, entranced.
It made me think about what would have happened if I stopped after that first cry. Declared it not for her and didn’t go back. How many times in my life have I tried something once, disliked it and declared it not for me...when just a little bit more exposure could have been all it took?
Learning all over again with this little one 😍❤️