Third Time is The Sweetest posted 10/19/2009 5:05:55 AM | 1 kudo what's this?     report abuse

sybnann

This is a true story... well actually three stories in one, about ME, as a child..... and it both disturbs me and moves me at the same time.

When I was two years old, my stepdad, mom, maternal granparents, and my sister and I set out to go fishing on a river in two row boats. The first one would carry the four of us~ stepdad, mom, sis, and I and the second would carry my maternal grandparents.

Mom and I and my sister climbed in to the first boat. Then it was my stepdads turn. He was quite a heavy man and as he was climbing in, the boat capsized. I don't know what HE did, but my grandpa saw what happened and jumped in to save us. He grabbed me first, then my seven year old sister and my mom. None of us were able to swim, then and cannot now. HE then went after moms purse floating on the river.

It turns out all was ok except for me. I was ill all the way home, and grandma was a nurse, so thankfully she watched over me until we got there.

Then, when I was about eight years old, we all went to the ocean (Atlantic) for a "play day." My sister had met some new friends there on the beach, so I found myself hanging out with them. I was then about 6 or so. Anyway, a wave came in and covered me and carried me out a ways in to the deeper water. I tried to yell at my sister, but with a mouth full of water and with her playing with her friends, she neither heard nor saw me. I found myself praying a little childs prayer... just for an instant.... and on the third "dip" under the water, it happened... I felt a hand grab me and it turns out that "again" it was grandpa. He was my angel for the second time in my life..Again I was ill, vomiting a lot... but was ok after a while, and so grateful that HE was there..

The third and last time was when I was about 8 years old. Again, we were at the ocean. It was unclear to me this time, WHO all had been there with me that day, but it no longer really matters. I was a little older and thought I could "handle" playing along the edge of the ocean. Boy, was I SO wrong. One more time, the big wave came and swallowed me up and knocked me off my feet, until I found myself with my feet not touching the ground, no one around me at all, and NO hope to get anyones attention as they were too far away. THIS time, NO one had been watching. I prayed again but this time, like I had never prayed before, and rarely since, truthfully. I just knew that this time was IT for me. It's funny how a person drowning actually tries to grab on to the water!

Something happened as soon as I finished that prayer that for the most part, changed my life. I believe to this day that God spoke to me at that moment. What I did "hear" the "voice" say was " Put your head under the water, dig your fingers in to the sand, and crawl toward the beach, until you can once again stand."

WELL, I DID just that, and it worked, and I believe that is why I am here today to share the story with you...

Life is that much sweeter after cheating death at least three times so early in my life!

Thanks for reading my blog and my story.

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