Here’s another story from our Lake Michigan trip. Of 5 little girls, 1 is a non-swimmer. The 7 year old had her first swim lesson this summer, but was afraid to get her face wet. Her mother had her do a few bobs in the lake, then she watched my 8 year old doing streamlines and kicking. She told her daughter to do that, and she got the hang of it! She started streamlining, and trying everything else the little fish girls were doing. She wanted to stay in the water, splashing and playing like she was born again. It is so exciting when swimming clicks for someone!

How long does it take to become a swimmer? Our trip to a friend’s backyard lake: My 10 year old daughter has a friend who lives on a lake. The friend has come to pick her up and taken her to her house to play a few times. My daughter usually gets home late, full of smiles, with wet hair. In early August, the whole family was invited to come play in the lake. We took our suits, and drove the 30 minutes to their house. It was picturesque. You had to go out in the yard to take in the whole view. The lake extended in all directions along the back and side of the house. My daughter’s friend has a couple boats, their own dock, and a small sandy beach for building castles.

The girls had so much fun jumping off the dock and getting pushed off the deck. The baby swam around a little in her cube and water wings, while I silently wondered how long it takes for swimming to happen. The 6 year old still doesn’t swim, and shows little interest when we go to the lake. That’s ironic, considering how he liked the lake when he was a baby. Anyway, I’m getting impatient for all my children to swim. Mind you, I haven’t yet signed them up for lessons this summer–and summer’s almost gone–so I don’t know what I expect, but I am tired of the youngest two not knowing how to swim. I am weary of holding the baby for dear life every time we go swimming. I am even more weary of hearing of non-swimming black people, and of mothers helplessly watching their children drown. So I’ll hold the baby. And sign the kids up for lessons so I don’t have to count my family members among the non-swimmers.

It doesn’t hurt that I have a lifeguard in the family now. I can’t wait to get my son certified.

This was our first Lake Michigan trip in 4 years. It was a triumphant return in many ways–the sand was comfortable, and the water was warm, which is a never in Lake Michigan. But the beach that we visited had very big rocks on the lake floor, making it too painful for the little children to venture in.

The baby would go in if I carried her. Then she’d try to get bold and have me let go of her. The waves were ever present, but mild. There was sand deeper in the water, but it was hard to get to, especially holding a baby. She just kicked and kicked and squirmed the whole time in the water.

We had a large group of black folk at the lake. Three women and 14 children descended on the beach. (Swim count: 2/3 adults could swim, 4/6 children, and 4/5 teens can swim). Four of the five teenagers looked like superheroes as they strolled into the water. The fifth teen was there under duress, not happy to be there at all. He kept his t-shirt on when forced into the lake to take care of his little brother. Later, a seagull came and pooped on him. His mother said that the poop mirrored his poopy attitude. It was ironic humor or something–sarcastic humor? Satire? You can’t make these things up.