Today

Tonight at Eli's swim lessons we were told to put on our suits but to plan to sit on the side.  This was the first class where Eli would need to listen to the instructor and hold onto the side and wait his turn to show his floating and stroke skills.  The pool Eli has his lessons in is smaller and for kids.  It starts out shallow enough for him to stand but gets deeper at the other end.  I wasn't sure if I he was ready.  We arrived 5 minutes early to our lessons and the kids from the prior were getting out to dry off.  The mom next to us on the bench had her cell phone in hand but put it down to dry off her 2 littles when they were done.  I wasn't really watching her.  Routine stuff right?

In front of me was the lifeguard. He sits in a special chair and has a whistle and a floatation device around his chest.

I didn't hear a whistle.  The first thing I saw was the lifeguard stand up.  The next thing I saw was the mom stand up and stand on the first step of the deep end of the pool.  She wasn't freaking out.  From the shallow end a fully clothed lifeguard dove into the children sized pool and swam so fast. I turned my head to see the little boy fully under the water in the deep end.  His whole head was under the water (he was standing but the water was too deep-completely covering him) and he was reaching his hand towards the surface.  He wasn't bobbing up and down or choking, because he was fully under the water.  Nobody was yelling.  But there was a lot of splashing because the lifeguard from the other side of the room was frantically getting to that boy.  She saved him.

She saved his life.

I can't get the image out of my head.  It was and is completely traumatic to me. I've never wanted to be a life guard and I still don't want to be.  But that woman, short and stout and not looking anything like a Baywatch (Babe) lifeguard DID her job tonight.  She can go home tonight knowing that she dove into that pool in her clothes and saved that boys life. She reacted in lightening speed. I said to Andy on the way home "How was she even watching THAT 1 kid? Because I wasnt and even his mom wasn't."  He responded with "That's her job".  Wow.

Cheers to lifeguard lady.

Happy Valentines lifeguard lady.

I hope you are making more than minimum wage.  I hope you have insurance and benefits.  We need you.  You SAVED a life.  That is more than I can say I did today.

So....I had to move on. I had to send my little in the pool.  And I did. Because I knew there were others like her surrounding this little pool.  I saw this little boy survive and smile and walk away with his towel around him.  I'll see him next week-probably just as daring as he was tonight.  Kids are resilient. Because there are adults there keeping them afloat. 

Eli went in the pool. He sat on the side and waited calmly for his turn.  He even told the teacher "I want to try by myself" and I held my breath and my tears and let my heart beat with pride. 

(I know it costs money, but give your children swimming lessons).

So tonight I squeeze my 4 valentines (Eli, Hugh, Andy, Bailee) a little tighter.  I squeeeeeeeeeze and they squeeze back.

Thank you Lifeguard Lady.