Member-only story
Accept That Some Things Are Easy For You
Don’t get in your own head about the easy stuff.
My 11 year old son tried scuba diving the other day.
We were in a tropical location for Spring Break. The minimum age is 10 years old to do a little resort dive, about 20–30 yards off the coast. And his friend did it the day before and loved it.
My son is a strong swimmer, and both my husband and I are certified scuba divers. My son was a little nervous about the unknown elements but was excited to give it a try.
He sat through the lessons he needed to learn on land. Then he zipped up his wetsuit and got into the water with the instructor. The guy was great — funny and engaging with the kids, but also very patient. I sat with my book in the shade and was happy to see how it all unfolded.
I saw them swimming around underwater in the shallow area right by the shore. And the next thing I knew, my son was standing next to me, in tears. The rest of the group was swimming out and down, toward the reef.
I asked my son what happened. It was obvious that he had mastered all the skills in the shallow area.
The words spilled out in a rush, his eyes red and his voice high. I wasn’t sure what to do and I didn’t think I could do it out there!
