Drownings

The Toronto Star reports today on a mum who took her three kids - 9, 8, 7 - swimming over the weekend. One child was pulled from the lake drowned, and she of course went hysterical, and about 200 people watched as they pulled him out and tried to revive him. He couldn't be revived.

Then she noticed her other two were missing. They too were pulled from the lake, and may or may not survive. They would have been underwater at least 10 minutes.

I cannot imagine. I feel so bad for her. And yes, possibly she wasn't watching them closely enough, but it's not mine to judge - and even if one were judging, that's a pretty terrible penalty for a half hour of sloppiness.

I read a long time ago that to be a parent is never to live without fear again. I believed that, but I am learning it over and over... and seeing that it never ends. I love watersports and the water and I hope to be able to enjoy swimming and boating and windsurfing and sailing with kids. One of the hard things about being at the cottage last year was all that fresh "stuff" that Emily wouldn't ever get to do. It would be terrible to be so fearful as to not let that happen.

But reading that I want to keep witch baby away from anything but a washcloth.

Once of course s/he comes out of the amniotic fluid environment and starts breathing air.