“Maybe the thought of relying on plastic floaties scared her, or maybe it was the way I kept eyeing the deep end, but as soon as my mom left on a supply run, Holly became convinced it was time I learned to swim.
I held onto her neck as she waded into the shallow end and slowly nodded when she asked, "Ready?" Before I had a moment to reconsider, she dropped me underwater.
I can't remember if I thrashed, or just kind of went limp, but soon after she hoisted me out of the water and sighed. "You have to blow out of your nose, Courtney."
And just like that, I was back under the water. Again, I failed to blow air out of my nose.
Time for a new strategy. Holly sat me on the stairs and lowered herself into the pool like an alligator- with just her eyes and the top of her head showing- and started blowing bubbles to demonstrate.
"See?"
I'm not sure I saw, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. She dunked me before I had a moment to answer.
I'd like to think it's because I was a quick learner, (though to be honest, it may have just been that I desperately wanted to stop being dropped underwater) but within thirty minutes, Holly was back to her magazine on the side of the pool and this two and a half year old had conquered the deep end- treading water and blowing bubbles like a champ.”
-Courtney Khail