My son went surfing.
My son's father grew up in Ocean City and is still surfing. I grew up in the area as well and although I spent plenty of time in the water and on boogie
boards, I am not a surf betty (yet). When we bought our first home, I hung up the surfboards as art.
The idea that a child of ours wouldn't love the ocean was not possible. When our son was diagnosed with autism our family had to change and adapt. I wanted
my son to find solace in the ocean just like his Dad. I wanted it for them but I didn't dare to dream or even voice it out loud. Surfing is not a life
skill. I couldn't expend energy on something that was not academics, life or social skills. In the big picture of life, not everyone surfs and that is
okay.
So when someone mentioned Surfers Healing, a surf camp for autistic children, a seed of hope grew in my heart.
I emailed, volunteered to help and signed my son up. Professional surfers spending 30 minutes in the water with my son getting him to ride the waves –
AMAZING!
Reality was better than my hopes as I watched those beautiful people allow my son to experience the joy of surfing
. My son didn't even attempt to stand up on the board, and pretty much had the death grip going for the entire time. But, after his fourth wave, my son
looked up at his pro surfer guy and held up his pointer finger. The surfer said, “Okay. One more time.”
I will never know what had a more profound impact on my life, the magic healing powers of the ocean or the kindness of strangers. This was our One Perfect
Day.
Thanks for reading. Will you consider volunteering for Surfers Healing or other similar events in our local community?
