I have a lot of fond memories of swimming when I was a kid. From the Officers Club at Camp LeJune to the private and public pools in Omaha we used to frequent. One thing I remember is holding onto my dad’s shoulders as he swam under the water. I would take a big breath and imagine I was riding a whale.
For the past three summers, Ethan and I have spent many summer afternoons and evenings swimming together. At first, he was hesitant to go in the deep end but over time he has become quite adventurous. The early thrill was for him to take whale rides on my shoulders. This year, he has grown strong enough as a swimmer to not need me in the deep end.
Our big addition to the pool adventure is what we call the Underwater Seesaw. He and I face each other and hold both hands. He goes to the bottom first and then I go when he comes up. We can go for a long time seesawing up and down in the deep end.
Tonight, we were going for a pretty long time and then paused on his way down to give me a kiss on the lips. It was one of the sweetest moments that he and I shared all summer. Those are the moments that I seek to make more frequent as I close The Fatherhood Gap.
How about you – what’s a sweet moment that you’ve shared with your child lately?
