I nearly burst from pride and delight and wonder. Claire Marin easily swam the last few strokes to the boat, threw her mask onto the platform and clambered out of the water with a beaming smile. I don’ t think she realized how in awe I was and how impressed the other adults on the boat were.
When we put down anchor in Lake Malawi that morning, several adults pulled on flippers and mask and snorkel, slipped into the water and headed towards the rocks to view the underwater beauty. Claire and I took our time finding masks and snorkels that might fit her and eventually decided against the flippers. Once in the water she tried the snorkel but couldn’t quite get the hang of it. So we swam together the 50 meters (yes, 50!) to the shore where she put on just the mask and swam all over face down, examining the blue and yellow fish.
Always the paranoid mom, I convinced her to swim back to the boat, afraid that she would get too tired to swim back. But she made it back without any signs of fatigue, elated by her accomplishment but not nearly as dumbfounded and giddy as her proud mom. It was like I watched her grow up from little girl to big girl in that brief swim back to the boat.
That afternoon she took out a one-woman kayak, paddling all around the lake. I helped her push it into the water, but then she simply grabbed the paddle and off she went. Down the shoreline, making turns and back again.
The following morning we were back out on the lake. This time she took the mask and the snorkel. When we got to the rocks, she popped the mouth piece in, slid the mask down, gave me a wave and off she went! She looked up once in a while to call to me or point to a place I should look.
It was amazing. Her confidence, ease and joy made me laugh out loud. She was proud of herself but in a rather naïve way. Not proud of her actions but delighted in her new experience and in discovering a new ability and the joy radiated from her.
Our time at the lake was a welcome respite from our work but it was all the more worth it because of Claire Marin’s delight.
Yeah Claire!
What great fun for Claire Marin!!!
Another adventure she will not forget.
And,oh,the joy of being a Mom.
She has learned so much since being in Malawi and has definitely grown up. She shows us life through a child’s eyes and we are all growing with her. What a delight for you and Jeff to experience and watch!
Big hug to Claire and Carter! So fun . . .
I can see your smile as you wrote this. How wonderful it is when we remember to take time to delight in our children. Way to go Claire Marin!