PADDLER 38
PADDLER 38
put-in of a fun run we would do in the Terrible Two tandem , I was dealing with gear for us , and my wife was organizing this and that at the river ’ s edge . Kailix was playing in the sand . Suddenly she asks , “ Where is Kailix ?”. I looked around , and he was nowhere to be seen . After a few seconds , I saw him in the river below the surface . I jumped in and pulled him out . I had not put his life jacket on yet , and him being four simply didn ’ t make the connection . He ’ d jumped into the river as we always did to play and had immediately sunk .
He was fine . Not even shaken up at all . A brief wideeyed gasp and all was OK . But it was a close call . All it would have taken was another minute of us fiddling with our gear , and it would all have been over .
INHERENTLY DANGEROUS
Of course , the argument that life is inherently dangerous is sound . He could fall off his bicycle , slip in the shower , fall down the stairs , or be struck down by an illness . He fell off a schoolyard Jungle Jim and landed on his head once , which could easily have broken his neck . He fell off his skateboard one day and missed hitting the edge of a railing with his neck by millimetres .
There are so many ways to go wrong that I wonder whether we are adding unnecessary danger . Is the prolongation of life worth eliminating the joy of life ? It ’ s easy for me to sit here and say it is , not having lost a son . Would I still think the same thing if I did lose my son because of an accident in an environment I introduced him to ? I know I would not handle it well .
NOTHING GUARANTEED
When my friend lost his son , we talked about this . It had only been a few days and he was stricken with grief . He said , “ How could I change one thing without changing everything , if the chance were given ? There is nothing guaranteed , not one more second with him . Would I steal everything that he had fallen in love with ? I can ’ t answer that and struggle thinking about it .”
He does go on to say that he would continue to live to the fullest with his other child . They would continue their activities and adventures , their memory building and bonding . Despite his clear grief , he felt in his heart of hearts that the short time he ’ d had with his son was spent in the best way possible .
As I continue this most wonderful adventure with my son , watching him grow more and more confident as a person , with his love for life , and his obvious joy , deep down , I hope to see him grow into a young man full of joy and passion . I take all the precautions I can , creating as safe an environment as possible in the adventure we have embarked on together .
For Gavin . Keep boofing , wherever you are .