By Jeannette Rivera-Lyles, The Orlando Sentinel
I knew something was off when on the last day of two weeks of swimming lessons my 6-year-old kept on screaming “Save me, save me!” every time his face got wet.
While his friends splashed around him, he clutched to a foam noodle until his nuckles were white. He smiled, but he made sure the pool ledge was within arm’s reach.
I watched from the bleachers hiding behind my oversized sunglasses, my feelings somewhere in between pity and shame. My son, like me, can’t swim.
I grew up in an island, where beaches, rivers and pools are a short walk away. But my mother was afraid of water and repeated like a mantra that if a shark wanted to eat her, it would have to come through the shower head. Her attitude didn’t seem to affect my brothers, who learned to swim on their own at a young age, but it kept me from learning.
I don’t want my fear of water — which I try to disguise — to be one of the legacies I pass on to my kids. According to the Florida Department of Health, drowning is the leading cause of death among children 4 and younger in the state. The numbers don’t get much better in the 4- to 7-year-old range.
This summer, I’ll keep on bringing Henry to swimming lessons and will look for an adult program for myself. That’s my summer time resolution.