In the bath tub tonight, Peyton and I had a conversation about swimming. Now this has been a hot topic in our household because Peyton has requested many times over the last year to be able to go swimming and we have to explain how dangerous it would be to get water in her trach. She was having her Barbie swim in the water. While doing this, she commented to me that because Jackson doesn't have a trach he can swim. Then she added that because Traiton doesn't have a trach he can swim too. I agreed with her and told her that in the future if her trach comes out she can go swimming. She pointed to her trach and seemed concerned and pointed out that she would still have a hole there. The kid is sharp, she realizes that even if we pull the trach out there is a still a hole for the water to go into. So then I explained that if she doesn't need her trach any more the hole will eventually go away. She seemed to understand and we moved on to another topic. It wasn't a particularly earth shattering discussion but what I was struck by was as she pointed out all the people who could swim, she wasn't unhappy or disappointed that she isn't able to. I am certainly not devastated at the thought of her not being able to swim but I have been worried that she might be secretly sad about it. She continues to show me all the time that she accepts her life just the way it is. I am not so naive to think that will always be the case, but what a lesson to learn from a 4 year old. She really teaches me that no one else can define the value of a life except the person living it.
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