Part 3: Sharing the ocean

I met someone early last week when I took my nephew swimming. I was slightly apprehensive when he first approached me, he looked like the kind of dude that would have made my life miserable at high school and despite being in my twenties I still can't escape my fear of being that big little kid again. My snap judgement proved to be wrong, he came up to me to tell me he admired how I was swimming with Kaiden my nephew and looking out for my health.

I saw him again today and got more of his story, I told him about my writing and he asked if I could write about him. He wanted me to talk about him but not reveal his name so we are going to call him Josh. It quickly became clear why he had been so touched to see Kaiden and I playing together in the water.

Josh misses his kids, he only gets to see them once a week as he is in a rehab facility while waiting to see if he is sentenced to prison. He is fighting some nasty withdrawals to some hard stuff and he is fighting hard to make sure he sorts his life out for his kids. Josh is part of a gang, its the life he knows and he loves it. He feels an intense camaraderie with his fellow gang members and is so proud of all the good things the gang accomplishes, he seems to understand that if he is lucky enough to not see anymore jail time that his life is going to have to change and that his kids are going to come first.

I didn't say much in return, what could I say to someone struggling so hard against some tough factors. I just listened to this dude who had compassion for me and a willingness to improve himself and I left the pool today better for it. I just want the best for him, My struggles seemed small in comparison I remember telling him, but he wouldn't have any of that saying that overcoming a food addiction is a really difficult thing and he was proud of me.

I watched Josh leave the pool to go back to the facility he is based at, he didn't leave the pool with a cloud of sadness or misery, he left laughing and in good spirits... because Sunday is the day Josh gets to see his kids.

AquaMoon

SwimTracker: 30 hours of swimming over 2 weeks so far.