This is just something I am really happy about and I need to get it out of my system!

My mother is very sick and has been my entire life and longer. She could be in a wheelchair by now, but still goes without one! She fights every day to stay mobile and has struggle walking or even standing up at some point.

Recently she got some walking sticks and we started to go on small walks together just in a forest down the road. Today her walking was really bad, so we went an even smaller round. But the weather was nice so I wanted to stay outside a little longer.

I told her I was gonna go to a lake near where we live, and she offered to drive me there. I was very surprised when she got in her bathing suit, because I never saw her in any kind of water before! We used to have holidays at the Baltic sea, but she always stayed on the beach.

"Maybe I'll go in a bit"

So we were there and I got in very quickly, after helping her walk over the sand. I swam a little round and when I turned back I saw her knee deep in the water! I was so surprised and immediately swam back. To my surprise she went in further and further and laughed like a little child (I have never in my life heard her real laugh!). And then she did it. She took the last step and just swam!

It was less than ten seconds because her legs immediately protested and she was afraid to drown, I helped her back and she laughed the entire time.

We talked about it and she said that this is the lake she used to visit when she was a child, her mother would take her here nearly every weekend in the summer to swim. She could not even remember the last time she swam, but it was before all my siblings were born. My oldest brother is over 30 by now.

I am just so happy for her. She has even walked back the entire way to the car without her sticks!