One of the things I love about teaching younger children is their joy. During a 180-day school year, you wouldn’t believe the number of days I hear, “This is the best day, ever!” All it takes is doing something different. Now I know that whatever that day held, it was not as great as Christmas morning, vacation, or their birthday party. Why do they say that…because they live in the moment.  They find joy and fulfillment in the here and now.

Dolphins

On my birthday this year, I had the “best day ever!’ I have always loved dolphins. I suppose my love came from the TV show Flipper. The first time I went to Florida, at age 6, I came home with a stuffed dolphin, and a dolphin hat, and T-shirt. A few years later I chose a Miami football satchel, just because it had a dolphin on it. Growing up not far from Six Flags over Georgia, I loved watching the daily Dolphin show multiple times when we went.

One of the items on my bucket list is to swim with dolphins in the ocean. I have always wanted to, but it is pricey. I didn’t want to swim dolphins in captivity because I thought that aspect would make me sad. Karla and I were in Florida on my birthday this year, and we decided to find something fun to do. As we looked for options, the dolphin advertisement kept popping up. I decided to just do it. I booked with Panama City Beach Dolphin Tour and More. They had a 98% rate of seeing dolphins.

Anchors Away

I was so ready to have a blast. But when we loaded the small ship, many of the other passengers were drinking heavily and cursing a lot. It made me uncomfortable. As adults, we sometimes let distractions deprive us from the moment of fun. I decided not to allow their actions to spoil my opportunity.

I was very excited! When we sailed far out, Captain Dane pointed saying, “There they are!”. I became a three-year-old. I stood up, bouncing up and down, clenching my fist with anticipation. The captain began shouting, “jump in, jump in.” Passengers jumped in and began treading water. Not me. I took off swimming as fast as I could. I soon found myself swimming underwater with three dolphins. The dolphin in the lead had a huge fish dangling from his mouth. It was an incredible site. I was swimming with dolphins in the wild!! As a first timer, I was required to wear a life jacket. I am a rule follower, so I obliged, even though I felt I did not need the safety measure. To my dismay, the jacket would not allow me to dive down deeper. It was pure exhilarating torture.

Incredible Memory

When they swam away, we loaded the ship and headed to find more. I asked if I could remove my life jacket. I was given the okay. This time when we stopped, I did not wait and let all the children go first, like I did before. This was my chance, and I wanted to make the most of the experience. I was the second off and swam toward their fins as fast as lightning. However, they submerged, and I lost sight of them. The captain pointed and yelled to me, “Right there! There!” I assumed he could see them since he was up high, so I just dove straight down. I was soon underwater right beside three dolphins.

There are no words to describe my feelings. I took it all in — creating an incredible memory. I listened to their conversation of clicks and squeaks. Their long bodies bent and their mouths opened and closed. It was as if I was watching a movie. It was surreal. Then one turned around and began swimming toward me. Needing air, pressure began building in my chest and I knew I couldn’t last much longer. I kicked my legs as hard as I could, extending my arm. I was within 6 inches from his sleek body when he dove down. So close, I almost touched him. I tried to swim down but decided I wouldn’t make it and headed for air.

It’s Your Birthday

When the dolphins retreated and we took our seats, thunder roared. Captain Dane took off his shirt so it wouldn’t get wet and announced, “Ladies and Gentleman, look what we have ahead”. We looked and knew we were about to get drenched. The small canvas at one end of the boat was only big enough for a couple of people. As the cold rain began pelting us like crushed ice, the expressions of the passengers were not good. But suddenly it was as if everyone decided to be present in the moment and enjoy. Laughter began ringing out from everyone.

Karla burst into the Happy Birthday song and everyone joined in. Our captain cranked up the music, “Go shorty, It’s your birthday. We gonna party like it’s your birthday.” Some began to dance. It was truly raining cats and dogs. We could have all been miserable, but instead we had a blast.

After the rain storm, our captain passed out crackers and we fed the seagulls that were circling above the ship. Later, we stopped to snorkel. We saw pufferfish, starfish, seahorses and much more. Our skipper Patrick let us hold them and told us all about each one. 

On Friday, I turned 54, but what fun I had seeing the ocean through the eyes of a child. Be childlike. You can’t go swimming with dolphins every day, but find something to make your day the best day ever. Once this day is gone, you will never have it again.

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.

“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.