When I was a child, my parents made sure that we had a weekly outing somewhere so that the weekends were filled with fun and activity. At least, that was their intention. Let’s remember that back in the 50’s and 60’s there were not so many child-rearing manuals available, so parents were more or less left to their own creativity or the patterns they learned as they grew up in their families.
My parents were no different, essentially feeling that children were resilient and that life would teach them most of the things they needed to learn.
I can remember one trip to the beach many years ago. I was probably three or four years old and a wave tumbled me around. I can only remember bits and pieces of that muddled experience but I do recall that once I was rescued by my mother, I was deposited safely many feet from the waves and never ventured there again. Just writing these words gives me palpitations and although I go to the beach and enjoy other aspects of it (the sun, the sounds of the waves as they crash, the laughter of little children, etc.), you will never find me frolicking carelessly anywhere near a wave. I believe my parents made a mistake in rescuing me, well, not in rescuing me, but in rescuing me and not coaxing me back to the waves so that I could replace the horrible experience with a more pleasant one. In time, I am sure I would have acclimated to what the water in the ocean seems to be for other people (like surfers for example) and might have become a true-blue beach lover! I am happy that my children were taught to swim at an early age and are as comfortable in the ocean as anywhere else in the world.
It looks like a great day out there and I am going to make the most of it today. My eating plan is in place and, for today, I know I will be successful.
Always on My Mind 