Partnership Educators,
It might be the tallest 20 inches in sports. That is the distance between the diving board and the surface of the water in most swimming pools. This can feel like a half a body length and can especially feel that way when it actually is half your body length.
All summer long four-year-old Dylan has been cheating the diving board system by gradually lowering himself into the water like a fragile egg. "He just had no interest in it" Mom explains. They didn't want to pressure him so they were just saying, "Hey want to give it a shot?" But he just wasn't interested.
Then enters ninety-five-year-old Daniel. As an air force vet from the Korean Way he knew a thing or two about fear and bravery. When Daniel saw Dylan at a family pool party and heard everyone trying to coax him off the board, he knew exactly what Dylan needed. "Just needed some convincing I guess" laughed Daniel. So Daniel borrowed a swimsuit and with his cane in hand, he stepped up to set the example. "This is a miracle" one kid yelled as if Lazarus himself had risen up to the springboard. It did feel a bit scary to those in attendance. The Great Grandfather hadn't been on a diving board in fifty years and yet there he stood ready and willing to teach a lesson in courage. After almost falling backward and making it a lesson in first aid, at the age of ninety-five, he dove headfirst for Dylan into the water. It wasn't the prettiest dive and he states afterward, "I could have done better." But truthfully it was perfect. Because shortly after Daniel took his last jump off of the diving board, Dylan took his first.
The courage it takes for many of our students to leap into learning something new or overcoming social awkwardness and work on making friends or just the everyday struggles of doing their work for some of our homeless, foster, unduplicated, and students with special needs can be overwhelming. Sometimes that feeling of being overwhelmed shows up in the form of being unable to do anything. To many observers, it may look like they don't care or just don't try. I hope the courage of a ninety-five-year-old and a four-year-old inspire us all to take the leap for others who might need to see our example of courage. Daniel showed us that it can be as simple as diving in a pool that can make a difference. Even though we know that diving in a pool for a ninety-five-year-old isn't that simple.
Have a fantastic weekend,
Rob