I almost lost my youngest son yesterday… Sad thing is, he really does not grasp the concept that he almost died. Have you ever been in a situation that your child is there one minute and the next gone and right in front of you, too far to reach and save?
We were at the river hunting geodes; we were just walking the bank. Never got even above my waist. My son asked if he could get in and swim. I told him he could, but to stay close to the bank, that there was a current in the river that if he got too deep, he would be sorry, I explained what a current was and how it could take him under that he would be sorry and could drown. He did good for a while. Stayed close to me. So close, he would kick up the sand to where I could not see the rocks. I told him to move away a bit and not so close. So, he kept getting further and further out.
Mean time. there was this couple and their kids. Now, the hundreds of times we have been there, there has never been anyone else there before, so I had my son grab our stuff and move it down close to where we were at so not to be in their way. Then he goes and starts playing in the water again. Now. by this time, he is getting comfortable in the water, and he believes he can swim because at the YMCA he got a bit of classes to go down the slide. Well, he never was really taught how to swim per say. but learned to keep on his feet when going down the slide. So, I caught him getting out further and further and how the river was taking him downstream a bit. Then I told him again to get closer to the bank, that he was getting too far out and was going to be sorry.
Well, my son does not do anything he is told. Never, and so this last time he got so far out and away from me, I screamed at him to get to the bank, so did memory man. And when he tried to swim up to the bank, he lost his footing and the current got him and he started to go under. I was freaking out because I was about to drown myself to try and reach him. Alone, he would have died and drowned because he was just too far to reach. I started screaming and ask the man that was there with his family to please grab him. He started after him and then he went under. The man got to him thank God and got him to shore. I thanked him and my son was saved from death.
You would think this would have done him in as far as the water went but, it did not because I still had to keep reminding him not to get far out that how he almost drowned and died. He at least stayed closer to the bank. My god, what if that family were not there to save him. He was too far away for me to have saved; I cannot swim and would have died trying. I cannot imagine life without him. It really freaks me out to even fathom the thought. Gives me the most panicked moments just to envision it in my mind, truly cannot see my life without him.
So, we are about to head out, so I am dilly dallying around like I usually do, trying to find that last rock or geode. I am finally getting to the point where I am going to get out, cleaning the sand from my water shoes. And before I get completely out of the water the most amazing thing happened… a white dove landed on the bank right where we were. It was the whitest I have ever seen, so pure white not one bit of color on the bird other than the red on his legs. He just walked around us minding his own business. Never cooed, just walked around pecking at the ground getting closer and closer. I was able to get out of the water without scaring it and stood next to my son and memory man. The dove walked in a circled around each of us. Just like we were never standing there. Just still pecking at the sand. Then the dove took and walked down the bank a bit and of course, took a shit and started back at us. My son wanted to act a fool, calmed him down and explained that this was unusual that this is something that does not happen every day. So, the dove came back and again got so close you could reach out and touch it. Both me and the memory man knelt to see if the dove would come and let us touch it. Of course, we never tried, did not want to scare it away. So, the dove did his rounds and then it flew away. God is good and that dove was signifying that he was there. He made sure that my son was safe that he was watching over us and him. If not for the power of the highest power would my son be alive today. Or me for that matter, I would have died trying to reach him. Just as well because I do not think I would survive the loss of my son let alone the grief of not being able to reach him.
The dove and its presence can be interpreted as many things as possible to most, and cultural beliefs. To me it was my higher power, God if you choose to say, then yes, a great and loving God. My son is still here getting on my nerves and making me crazy and that is okay. He is alive and still not aware of what had about happened to him. How close to death he really was. So, what lesson was there that he learned? I cannot say, because I do not know, to him it was not something that went as far as not coming close enough, that man reached him before he had a chance to panic and try and breathe in the water. He never did cough afterwards, that is why, I think. I keep reminding him how close he was and how grateful I am and how he should be. But you know kids, they do as they do.
I know I have not written on here for a while. I have been spending every moment with the memory man who had just had surgery on a hernia few weeks ago. So, I have not had the alone time to put down anything. He went back to work yesterday. Was hard on me, so my day was sad anyway, but this incident jolted me for sure.
Well short and I do not know if I would call this sweet, but I am going to wrap it up. I want to remind whoever reads this post that we need to all be grateful of all the things he blesses us with, even the trivial things. When you turn your back, anything could happen without a moment's notice. Just that fast my world was torn apart, but he was there and that dove I believed was there to let us know that he was there with us and remind us that he watches over us.
Thank you, God, for your watchful eye, bless you all and have a good night.
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