Master of the water

If anything, I have always felt this way.  From the time I was born with very little vision to when I gained so much and even now with precious little to my name.  Vision or not, I have always felt like master of the water.

 

I have so many memories of me communicating with water.  From when I was just a wee one walking along the beach with mom and dad and being able to see the waves lapping against the shore.  I still remember being able to see those waves that reminded me of lace and frills; their white caps so soft and foamy.  Then as I progressed through childhood, I still remember being able to frolic with dad, my brothers Jeffrey and Robert, and my cousins in the warm ocean.  How well I still remember being able to somehow chase them around, look up at a blue sky, and all of it through very blurry vision.

 

Playing with my dogs in the breakers, swimming with my beloved granny, and holding on to either mom's or dad's hand as I struggled to stay upright against the waves.  All of this I did with so little vision.  Then came the day when I received my cornea and new vision!  How I loved to just sit and watch the ocean whenever we went to the beach.  I could see the sail boats outside glinting in the sun.  I could see other sea bathers, look up at a flawless blue sky with puffy white clouds drifting lazily by as I laid on my back floating in a calm green sea, and watch fascinated as the Air Canada jet bird floated effortlessly over a deep blue Caribbean sea with the sun shining down on everything. 

 

That was then and this is now!  My memories still rule and ask me for some of the cherished ones and here they are:  The day that my brother Jeffrey and my sister-in-law Gayle took me on an outing down the islands.  I watched fascinated as the boat drove through huge sprays of white foam and bobbed up and down over the water.  Then Gayle and I went swimming and as I looked around me, I could see other boats filled with party goers and dark water swirling gently around us.  The kids were there too, swimming around and around the boat and Gayle and I following in their paths.

The day that I went sailing, canoeing, and kayaking on Lake Joe in Ontario. 

 

That was all then when my vision was so much better and this is now and I am still master of the water.  My memories help me to enjoy and now I add new ones to my memory bank.  Mom and I sitting quietly on the beach chairs enjoying the smells and sounds of the sea.  She describes everything to me and I use my memories to draw pictures of white capped waves, blue skies, and jade green ocean.  Then I compose music in my mind to cap everything off.  Nothing will ever take it away from me; master of the water is what I shall always be!  With the swans and large white birds forever flying overhead.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my memories with others.