Daniel’s Bliss
When we moved into our house 12 years ago I was especially disturbed that we had a pool but we loved the location so much we took the plunge, so to speak. I immediately called a pool fencing company and had it secured before we moved in but it still caused a bit of anxiety having 2 toddlers at the time.
This was about 1 year before Daniel’s official diagnosis of autism and 2 years before he bravely pulled off his floaties and jumped into the deep end causing as close to a heart attack as I’ve ever felt. No worries, he took to the water like he had been training with the Olympic swim team for months. That moment went from sheer terror to a wonderful discovery, water was Danny’s bliss.
During the summer months he spends hours bobbing up and down, swirling in a seal like fashion and exploring the configurations of bubbles as he splashes about. His love of the water extends to the pacific ocean where the crashing waves guide him back and forth while he dawns his goggles below the surface to explore sea life. It’s a joy to behold and undoubtedly a therapeutic exercise he surely requires.
Then sadly, as time goes by and we enjoy these moments of calm and peaceful escape the days will shorten and the temperatures will cool. The pool water will no longer be inviting and the ocean temperature will become chilly. Once again, as the seasons change we will have to wait for a time until the next summer approaches. It will be just as exciting as the first time when we once again watch Daniel make his splash into his bliss.
What makes you happy?
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@SarahAriella@xanga –
Thank you for your comments. That is SO cool and I love what you said about the joy of others. Sorry about the eczema. I know that is an extremely tough thing to tackle.
You sound like a super sweet and sensative person and I’ll bet that when you see the stranger on the street who is suffering, just your smile provides comfort in some small way. 🙂
Lots of things make me happy but I think I am happiest when my kids are happy and healthy…or anyone I love for that matter. When my loved ones (or even a random stranger on the street) are ill or upset, then I want to make it all better for them and I get sad if I can’t.
I can relate to your post. My son also really enjoys swimming (and water slides). We encourage it as much as we can because it is such great exercise and it can calm him down if he is over excited. Fortunately, he also loves snow (which is great because we have such long winters). What is frustrating is that he has chronic eczema and the chlorine (no ocean nearby) is very harsh as are the long and bitterly cold winters. Still, we try to ease his symptoms so he can enjoy his favorite activities.