The View From The Bottom of the Pool
I have this one memory, I most likely had just turned or was about to turn two years old, and my family and I was at my grandparent’s backyard pool.
My mom was in the shallow end of the pool with my older brother, and he was clinging to her, too afraid to dip even a toe into the water, my dad was on the patio (on the side of the shallow end) with my Bumpa and Nana (Grandpa and Grandma), they were barbecuing and chatting about one thing or another.
I remember thinking my mom looked a little annoyed that my brother was being unreasonably afraid of the water, so my 2 year old mind decided I would show my brother how it was done.
I got out of the pool, and ran down to the deep end, I took off my water wings and life jacket then proclaimed proudly to my family about some random nonsense, before jumping in. The next part of my memory takes a very different tone.
I just remember how serene and peaceful it was, to be essentially drowning. Everything was quiet, and calm, to this day I haven’t ever experienced anything similar to it. Next thing I know I see my dad and Bumpa plunge into the pool fully clothed swimming towards me.
Don’t know who got to me first to pull me out, and I don’t remember anything after that. I asked my parents and grandparents about this and they essentially changed the topic on me, so I have a suspicion it is true, but no confirmation.
It just sticks out as extremely vivid, and an oddly happier memory from my childhood.