Scary Story with a Happy Ending

A while ago, I used to have an obsession with water, very common among children with autism. Our family has a house with a private backyard, no pool, no conservation lot and NO POND. Mama and Papa knew any of these could be dangerous for me.

On the Spring Break of 2003 (I was 3 yrs old), I was playing with my mom and my brother in our backyard. Houses around us were still under construction with the exception of a couple of houses across the street. While playing, Mom went inside the house for a couple of minutes and told my brother to keep an eye on me. My brother got distracted and didn't notice that I took off to cross the street, onto the neighbor's backyard and into the pond.

My mom and my brother were running hysterical trying to find me. By that time I have already went to a screened porch where a neighbor was cleaning his pool and immediately walked to the pond and inside it, thinking I could float. I was so used to wear life saving floaties that I didn't realize I couldn't swim without them.

The neighbor, realizing what I just did went running to my rescue. I was completely under water and mud and leaves got inside my mouth and ears. The day before there had been an alligator in that samespot. My rescuer called on his neighbor to help him since he thought I would need resucitation from drowning. Fortunately, I was fine. Either from drowing, or from getting hurt by an alligator, I was saved!!!!

My mom and dad bought a basket with wine and cheeses for our neighborand his wife. This is smaller than a grain of sand in comparison withthe wonderful, corageous and life-saving act he did, but it was the only way they knew how to say thanks.

Thinking back about this experience, I believe there is an angel watching over me. I could have gone straight to the pond and nobody would have noticed. For some reason, I went to touch the screened porch where my neighbor was and got his attention. Without him, I wouldn't be alive.

Now I know how to swim and I have a tremendous respect for water. I took swimming lessons and don't use floaties anymore. I can be around water, ponds and pools and I never go in without permission and when I go in I am very careful.

Three years had gone by.... God has great plans for me. I need to stay in this earth to teach and learn many things. And that is precisely what I am just doing....