Only One Way Down

Today my MIL and I took my kids and cousins Carter and Lily to the Aberdeen Aquatic Center.

The boys had been talking about the high dive and we happened to walk up just as the boys were taking their first jumps.  Carter and Nathan jumped off without a care.
Then Landen climbed to the top--a little more timid.  A lot more like his mama.  He stood looking over the edge for a few minutes and then started to come backward to descend the ladder, ready to accept defeat.

The young man life guarding close by told him that once you go up, you have to jump off.
There was only one way down.
So, Landen cautiously and reluctantly turned back to the plank.

His grandma and I started cheering him on.  Carter and Nathan started cheering.  The long line behind him, filled with swimmers of all ages, started cheering him on, too.

He still just wasn't sure.

Then the lifeguard did an awesome thing.  He climbed up the ladder and talked to Landen about it.  He gave him some pointers on how to make it a bit less scary.
Landen still wasn't quite so sure.  After several minutes, he negotiated a "sit and scoot" method.  The lifeguard agreed to one time of that, but if he didn't go soon, he was going to push him off no matter what.

Landen scooted off, but no matter how he did it--he was victorious!  We all clapped and cheered.

The high dive was CONQUERED.

The lifeguard returned to his post and Landen returned to the line, ready to jump off confidently several more times without a care in the world for the rest of the afternoon.

We talked about it on the way home and Landen was thankful to the lifeguard as well.  I said it was so nice of him to be encouraging.  Landen said with a chuckle, "Well, he said he was going to push me off."

Encouragement is encouragement.