My Super Proud Moment

Growing up my aunt and uncle always had a boat.

Periodically my mom, brother, and I would be invited out to go boating.

However, there was always one rule:

If you were on the boat, you HAD TO participate in a water sport.  It was your ticket to ride.

This meant as little kids we were taught how to ski, kneeboard, wakeboard, and later on, barefoot water ski.

I remember being small and terrified of the water, yet having to try over and over to learn how to water ski from the beach.

I was never very good.

As I got older, kneeboarding became more popular, and since my ride on the boat meant I HAD TO get over my fears and do something, I usually chose that.  It was a lot easier than skiing for me.

Even further down the road my aunt and uncle got a new boat.  A barefoot boat, and barefooting was the sport of choice.  I didn't mind barefooting as much because you did it on a bar that came off the side of the boat [alleviating my fear of being left out in the lake by yourself when you fell doing other sports], and as a beginner you sit in a swing which basically means your really don't have to be in the water except to place your feet in [alleviating my fear of the water].  As long as you never advanced past the beginning stages, you didn't have to fear the water any more!

Now that I'm older I'm still terrified of the water [it's the fish. Lame, I know], but I also have learned to enjoy  watersports, and actually have fun with an occasional kneeboarding or barefoot outing.

This year, at Millsite, Kaeden, Jeff, and I got invited out on the boat.  Knowing how pushy and intimidating my uncle Chuck can be [especially when it comes to the boat rules], I was a little worried about whether he was going to convince Kaeden he needed to do something on the water.

Kaeden is shy.  And that shyness sometimes translates to fear of new situations.

Heading to the dock, I couldn't tell if Kaeden was excited or nervous.  He just sat there bundled up in his life jacket.

While on the water we all took our turns knee boarding, wakeboarding, and barefooting.  Once everyone was tired, we resigned to head back to the dock.

That is, until Chuck decided to try and see if Kaeden would go out.

He suggested we teach Kaeden how to kneeboard.

Full prepared to go all Mama Bear on my uncle, I was surprised that Kaeden did not immediately object.

I figured he just didn't understand.

But even as he was lowered into the water to balance on the kneeboard, he just sat there.  Emotionless.

I was expecting a full on panic attack!

And after a bit, he was even smiling!

To start getting a kid used to the water, and to teach them to "kneeboard", you start out by just having a bunch of people hold the kneeboard against the side of the boat while it's moving at a slow speed.  The kid isn't even strapped in, and instead, someone in the boat holds onto the strap.

Kaeden seemed to be taking things so well, the boys moved to the next step.  Holding onto a ski rope tightly held by someone on the side of the boat.

Once he was comfortable with that, the rest of the guys let go of the kneeboard, and there he was!  Kneeboarding!  My little Kaeden!

But it didn't stop there.  Kaeden even allowed Chuck to let the slack out on the rope a bit.

 

I cannot tell you how proud of my little guy I was.  The inner child in me who had a hard time dealing with these fears wanted to high five Kaeden for putting his aside and JUST DOING IT.

Needless to say, Kaeden was the King of the Camp for the rest of the trip.

Here is he listening to all his fans cheer for him from the shoreline.

But I think the biggest reward was getting to drive the boat back to the dock with Uncle Chuck.

Good job little buddy!