to learn how to swim well enough to save my own life-part 3

Late last June and into mid-July, I worked hard towards the completion of the "Miller Bucket List" item, "to learn how to swim well enough to save my own life some day."  Panic stricken as I was about being in the water, I decided to accept the advice of a very good friend who told me that I really did need to know how to swim.  And oh, by the way....He meant it!


I dutifully went to the first group of four lessons and even though I was initially reluctant and half-scared out of my wits, it seemed to get better as each lesson went along.  By the end of the fourth lesson, I had surprised myself-TOTALLY!  I actually found the water wasn't so bad after all, in fact it was fun.  I learned a little bit about floating on my back and front, putting my face down in the water, and generally just finding out that the water could be my friend, not an enemy.


I had such a good experience that I decided, "what the heck?", and I signed up for another four lessons scheduled for the fall.  After my broken arm had healed enough between the surgeries, I went back to the Y to learn some more.  Just Friday, March 2nd, I finished up the last of the second set of lessons and the strangest thing happened....I found that I loved it so much that I made the decision to do another four lessons this summer. I DO NOT know what has gotten into me.  LOL


Without the encouragement of my dear friend who said to me, "learn to swim" and the anonymous friend who sent me the application in the first place, I would have never ventured to the local YMCA to sign up for the lessons.  But once I got to the Y, I would have never been as successful if it were not for the fact that this woman, shown below with me, would be my teacher.

This is my teacher, Laurie Carr, the aquatics director for our local branch of the YMCA here in Hutch. Here we are before entering the pool for the final lesson on Friday.  In my opinion, everyone should learn to swim from someone just like Laurie.  She was able to take a 55-year old "water phobic" woman (that'd be me) from the steps of the shallow "little kid's" end of the pool to the 4 1/2 foot area of the pool by the time she was done.  Hey, we even ventured over to the 5 foot area during one of the lessons.  As for me, I consider her to be a "miracle worker."  Wow, 2011 ended up being the "year of the miracle workers" as far as I can tell for me!


Laurie's got a special gift for teaching swimming.  She's patient, kind, soft-spoken, a "cheerleader" always.  I felt like Laurie let me "call the shots."  If I was uncomfortable doing something, if the water seemed to be overwhelming me..I could always say so and she would immediately back off.  Laurie has this way about her...always continuing to encourage me to try something but knowing just right before the time would come when I would be frightened.  I appreciated that about her.


I surely have come a long ways during those 8 lessons.  Man, I can remember after the first one having to come home and fill a dishpan full of water so I could practice blowing bubbles into it.  Goofy sounding I know but hey, it worked for me.  A couple of times during the summer sessions, I went to the pool with some younger friends of mine, Haddie and Ella, just so I could get used to the water.  Last but not least, my good friend from school, Lori Johnson who is a great swimmer herself, went with me to the pool, in the shallow end even, to help me get over my fear of the water.


I've said before that I've had many awakenings since my accident in August and one of those has been the realization of how one thing leads to another in the whole scheme of life.  When I first signed up for those lessons in June, "old lefty" was just normal, like always.  I was only signing up to learn how to swim well enough to save my own life someday.  And for all intents and purposes, that's what I expected to get out of it.  


Yet during the second set of lessons, I began to see how the water's healing powers could help "old lefty" on the road back to recovery.  The water's warmth always felt so good on the aching muscles and joints my left arm developed.  Laurie showed me exercises that would help me regain the range of motion in my left shoulder~a  body part not initially injured in my August accident.  8 months of inactivity took its toll on the shoulder and now, it too, has to be rehabilitated. 


Personally friends, I believe that everything that happened last summer, just like everything that will happen today, was all set in motion long before I knew it would be.  My life continues to be just a part of God's great plan for me.  I don't understand it and the truth is that I don't really care to understand it~I just accept it for what it is.  Never have seen any other way.


May God bless your day today my dear friends and may your lives be worked out according to the plan He has for you.  Don't try to understand it, just accept it.  It works out so much better in the long run.  We may not see it that way, especially on the tough days but it DOES always work out.


Happy Sunday, March 4th in the year 2012-one of the greatest days to be alive in that was ever made!