Swimming With The Dolphins

There was once a little boy who dreamed of nothing else than one day being able to swim in the ocean like a dolphin, wild, free and unbounded. He spent endless days and nights imagining what it would be like to share in the bountiful mysteries of the sea. In his room were countless books about exciting ocean voyages. Posters of exotic marine life covered the walls of his room. One summers day, the little boy's grandfather decided that it was finally time to take the child to the ocean to help him realize his lifelong dream.

Early one morning, the child awoke to find himself being carried to a small van where his grandfather had packed towels, beach chairs and blankets. He could barely contain his excitement as he began to realize that this was to be the special day that he would embark upon a wondrous journey to the place of his fantasies.

After driving for several hours, the little boy and his grandfather finally arrived at their destination. Stepping down from the van, the little boy found himself staring in awe and wonder at the clear white sand and the many seagulls circling overhead. The gentle sea breeze surrounded him while he took in every sight and sound of the most exhilarating experience of his life. There was so much for the little boy to learn and so many wondrous things to explore. As the child played gleefully at the ocean's edge, he ran towards the sparking blue-green water. Suddenly without warning, the little boy was knocked over by a large wave. Stunned and choking back water, he tearfully began wiping the bitter salt, sand and the seaweed from his eyes. He turned and began running farther and farther away from the ocean that had both frightened and seemingly betrayed him.

Several years passed and yet, the little boy steadfastly refused to return with his grandfather to the beach, choosing to retreat from all of the imagined dangers it represented. After many months of encouragement, the little boy's family was able to convince him to wade in the shallow end of their small pool. Even, then, he refused to lean to let go of the pool's guardrails, lest he risk being rendered helpless as he was during his visit to the ocean many years before. Unfortunately, the little boy would never realize his dream of swimming with the dolphins. On one fateful day he had relinquished his freedom in a desperate struggle to maintain a sense of safety and security...    

Dr. David Loewenstein is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami School of Medicine and author of "For the Love of Rachel: A Father's Story" by Enalan Communications. The book can be ordered  through www.enalan.com and if MOD32 is entered at checkout, there will be a $3.00 savings and 50% of profits will be donated to the March of Dimes. The book is also available at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Love-Rachel-Fathers-Story/dp/0979194342