A Father's Day to Remember

My words of a few days ago were prophetic. I just came back to Toronto minutes ago, and have to share what will go down as the very best Father's Day ever.

In order to deal with Father's Day for Laurie's and my side of the family, we decided to split the weekend between the two families. My dad and mom were invited over for a barbecue on Saturday, and we took a drive to Wheatley on Sunday to be with Laurie's dad and his wife.

Saturday started out well, with my parents arriving only minutes ahead of my step-daughter, her fiance, and their two children. My parents had only seen Courtney once, shortly after her birth more than four years ago. And it was their first opportunity to meet Emily, born this past February. Although I was focusing on the grandchildren, my wife would inform me later that my parents appeared very pleased that Courtney called me "grandpa", accepting me as a "blood relative". I absolutely adore that child, as I do Emily.

There were nine of us spending the afternoon together. Courtney and my wife had a pre-dinner swim (accompanied by our black lab "Rosie", of course), and as usual, Courtney knew that she could not swim without her "special coat" - a life jacket which we insist she wear while swimming. After the swim, we spent a leisurely afternoon laughing, talking, taking pictures, and eating dinner. After dinner, Courtney played with the dogs, Emily was passed around among the doting grandparents and great-grandparents, and Courtney's parents took a break from their parental responsibilities to share some R&R on the front porch.

It was during this after-dinner period that my life changed forever. As I was taking pictures of my parents, and of Laurie holding Emily, we heard a faint call for help from Courtney. Apparently, she had been trying to reach a floating toy by the edge of the deep end of the swimming pool, and had somehow fallen into the water. Her right hand had a firm hold on the deck of the pool. The rest of her was in the cold water. Laurie frantically handed Emily to my mother, and started racing for the deep end of the pool. Courtney looked back over her shoulder at my wife, and just as I told her to keep hold of the pool, she let go.

Instantly, her tiny body fell below the surface of the water. The next two to three seconds have been described to me by all the witnesses. It pretty much matches my recollections, except that to me, time seemed to stand completely still. The moment Courtney's head submerged, I jumped to my feet, simultaneously handing the camera to my dad, who was seated a couple of feet from me. I then took two running steps in the direction of the pool, and dove in, fully clothed. I could see Courtney below the surface, and the momentum of my dive carried me all the way to her. I grabbed her midsection and thrust her upward as I swam for the surface. As soon as her shoulders cleared the water, Laurie was there to hoist her all the way up and out.

I weigh nearly 300 pounds, and no-one would ever accuse me of moving quickly. However, on this day, my parents and wife would later remark that they had never seen me move so fast in my life. As for Courtney, she was under water for such a short time, I doubt she even realized the danger she had been in. Safely ashore, she didn't cry, or scream, or do anything that would indicate fear. Instead, her only remark was "Oh, oh! I think I've ruined my new outfit!"

Once my adrenaline rush had subsided, I walked through the house to the front porch to fetch Courtney's parents. Seeing me, Christie joked that it looked like I had fallen into the pool. My reply, "No, but I had to rescue someone that did" brought an immediate change of expression and a mad dash for the backyard. Later, Christie would present me with a beautiful Father's Day card, and a heartfelt "Thank you" for saving her baby.

Perhaps lost in all the excitement was my step-son, Jonathan. I have been so impressed with him since the day I came into their lives. As the youngest and the only boy, he is the one I've had the most paternal influence over. For years, I know he's objected to my discipline, but on this day, he gave me the most touching card I had ever received. And, for the very first time in his card, he referred to himself as my "son". It brought tears to my eyes.

I had hoped to have my family learn about my special day through my blog, but the word-of-mouth story spread faster than I could have imagined. My sister called from Toronto to wish me a Happy Father's Day, referring to me as a "hero". I couldn't figure out how she had found out, until she told me that my mother had described the events of the afternoon to her. And my inlaws' extended family found out during Sunday morning church services, courtesy of my wife.