Happy Thanksgiving!

....or Turkey Day, or To-furky Day, or Football Watching Day!

Or all of the above : )

Love, eRiCa

R.I.P. Devon

I love water, but I don't know how to swim. Probably because I've come close to drowning several times since childhood. I even used to be a little nervous about taking showers because the water was shooting straight toward me. Many people have attempted to teach me, but I prefer to admire water, not to immerse myself in it too deep.

Yesterday, my little niece went to a friend's birthday party which was held at a hotel. The first activity on the line-up was playing in the pool. I was immediately concerned because I knew there would be no lifeguard on duty. See, some years ago, I, too, had a birthday party at this same nice hotel, and had played in that same nice pool, and had slipped straight through my plastic life-saver on the deeper end of the pool. I knew how quickly and easily accidents could happen in the water, how scary it was, and how I had only been lucky to somehow reach the edge and pull myself above the surface.

It always seems that no one notices the drowning person. In movies, you see them kicking and thrashing and yelling for help. In real life, you just start sinking before you know it, kicking and waving can't alert anyone when you're beneath the surface, and yelling would only cause you to drown faster.

My mother came home yesterday from the party and told me that my niece has almost drowned. My mother and sister had left the pool room for a few minutes, and the kids were under the watch of some other parents. Apparently, my niece was ok until she decided that she wanted to tell her mother (my sister) something important. She doesn't know how, but somehow she just sunk and couldn't bring herself to the surface. No one noticed her in the big crowd for awhile, but luckily she was able to feel the edge of the pool and pull herself up. Water was coming out of her nose and mouth and she looked as if she were going to pass out and not wake up. My mother and sister came back and were pretty upset about the whole thing, but blamed themselves for leaving the room even if there were other adults watching.

I had managed to put it somewhere in the back of my mind, but now a prior tragedy has come back to the forefront. I used to teach Sunday School when I was 16. I had three brothers in my class who were all very close in age. They were all rather quiet, but silly kids, with smooth brown skin and big almond eyes The elder two, Corey & Devon had a cute crush on me, and would follow me around, heads pointed down and eyes peering up. Really cute.

After I left and went back to California for some time, I often thought of the kids I had become really close to. Sometimes my mother would call and let me know how others were doing. One day, the news was not so good. Devon, the middle child with prettiest eyes, had died. He had drowned in a public pool.

Even though it may seem strange for a 22 year old to not know how to swim, I know that I have my reasons. I'm not a fish in the water, and I'm ok with that. But some may feel a little left out when they see their friends splashing & yelling and want to join in. Besides that, swimming is a good skill to learn. So what I ask everyone to do is to please make sure you are careful. Not just careful, but extra, extra cautious. Kids are so outgoing today and may seem much more capable, but they really need to be watched over very closely, especially in a vunerable environment. I imagine drowing must be one of the more sufferable ways to die. I don't just imagine, I know! I'm pretty much traumatized from my experiences. I can't go back in time to save Devon. I find it so hard to believe that his little body is underneath the ground now, while mine is still living and breathing. His magnetic aura, his doe-like stare, his silly boyish-ness, are no longer in this world. I can't really except it or bear to think about it for too long. So don't let this be a tragic memory for you. Watch over them and be there to help them stay afloat if they begin to sink.......

eRiCa

Happy Mommy's Day!

I really love my mommy. I tell everyone she's my best friend, and I meant it. I don't think anyone will ever understand me as much as my mother, or care as much.

She's not only a special mother, but also a really kind & fun person. She's makes me laugh even when she's not trying to. And whenever I introduce her to my friends, they like her better than they like me! She even charmed the snake chaamah! (:see featured photo on profile:)

So, basically, I just wanted to say that I love You Mommy! And Happy Mother's Day! * kiss kiss huuuuuuuuug *

rock gypsy