Seasick!

We were on a vacation to the seaside town of Puri. My girls were six and two years old. The younger one was busy building sandcastles on the beach, while the older one was enjoying the waves licking her toes and receding. I stood near her to keep an eye should she venture further out. Crowds were waist-deep in the sea, jumping each wave coming in quick succession. For a moment I got distracted watching the fun and acutely tempted to join in the revelry.

Next, I hear "mama help...I can't stand up" my daughter calling out with her arms outstretched getting dragged with the receding waves. The shock of seeing my daughter being pulled away, totally immobilized my thinking. I stood frozen. A gamut of emotions coursing through my body...fear, anger, helplessness and then God seemed to push me to go grab her outstretched arms. But before that my brother in law, a six-footer, had already heaved her out of the swirling waters, bringing her back to my arms. That scene still recurs in my dreams. 

The fear of losing my child impacted my decision never to allow my girls to take swimming classes in school. A decision that has invited criticism from them as they have grown up, married and have their own children.

Admittedly I still have nightmares of seeing my children drowning and every time I hear of my grandchildren taking swimming classes, fears build-up, but I don't say a word, just suffer in silence. Maybe they are right in their decision in teaching their kids to learn swimming to overcome the fear of water bodies and save themselves from drowning.