8:24 a.m. - July 11, 2001
Miracles
(This is a true life story, of a miracle that happened to me. It has been almost three years since, but continues to shape my life. It has changed everything. I hope that there is someone out there that finds inspiration, hope, or faith in something bigger than all of us by reading this story)
Here goes...
The Pacuare River swallowed me whole, but she did not keep me. And I am alive to tell the story.
I went to Costa Rica for five days vacation last week. We went river rafting (yes, during rainy season) and I took a fall. Or, rather, we hit a huge rock and I took a swim.
They say that the Pacuare is a level 4+ river. I have to say, I do not completely agree. I rafted the Ocoee River (a level 4, in Tennessee) and there is no comparison. The Ocoee is mostly calm with little spurts of wild. The Pacuare, on the other hand, is mostly wild with little spurts of calm.
At the halfway point, we had lunch and rested. By this time, we had already hit two significant �pockets,� causing me some minor injuries - mainly a cracked rib and a bloody nose. Nothing major, just enough to make me feel tough. I did not feel any pain at this point and my spirit was not dampened. We went on down the river. At almost � of the way through, signs of fatigue were setting in. I could feel that we were slipping. I no longer had the same confidence in my �raft-mates� as I once had. Some of them were getting cocky�and that is no place to be on a river.
Our plan was to get as close as possible to the boulder in front of us. This would give us all one hell of a ride. But, the river had a different plan. We got close alright - too close. We couldn�t pull out of it. We slammed up against the rock and our raft went completely vertical. I fell out and found myself sucked down, into the water, and trapped under the rock. Water was rushing all around my face and body. I could not move. I was unable to free myself. At first, I was very scared. I thought to myself, �So, this is how it happens. So, this is it. So, this is how I am going to die.� I thought of my mother, and going home to her in a box. Then, I simply accepted my death. I fully accepted what was happening to me. I surrendered.
At the time of my surrender, I heard my late grandfather�s voice, reminding me of something that he used to tell all of the grandkids. My grandfather was a strong swimmer, and he always swam in the ocean. He warned us if we were ever caught in an undertow, to relax. I heard my grandfather telling me, �Relax. Let go.� And so I did. At that moment, it felt as if a hand grabbed me and pulled me from the rock. I was shot out from under that rock, like a canon. The first thing I thought was, �I�m free. I�m free.� I was elated that I was no longer stuck under that rock. I felt hopeful. For a moment. Then I realized I was still under water, in a whirlpool, going around and around and around. I needed air or I was going to die. But, yet, I was calm. A strange, strange calm had taken over. I thought the words, �I need air� and was almost immediately shot up to the surface of the water. I felt the sun and saw the blue of the sky. I knew that this meant that I could breathe again. I coughed, spit out water, took a quick look around me, and then was sucked back under water. Again, I was being thrown around like a tiny leaf. The water was powerful and unrelenting. And I was at its mercy.
After what seemed like an eternity, I came up from the water. The water was almost calm. I had gotten past all of the really rough water and knew that it would be possible now for the rescue boat to retrieve me. I saw him in his boat, downstream, waiting for me. He had (fear?) on his face when he pulled me from the river. He told me that he knew there was a �swimmer� but that he didn�t see where I came from. He said that his eyes had been on the water, watching & waiting for me, but that he just didn't see me - that I must've been underwater for a long time. Then he told me, �Honey, look (and he pointed upstream), you just swam THAT and you made it. You�re fine.� I laughed and told him, �That wasn�t swimming.�
I guess I was in shock because I didn�t feel anything. I wasn�t hot or cold or hurt. I felt no pain. But, I could not stop shaking. Nor, could I speak. I was just laughing, staring at the water, shaking my head. I was alive! I made it! I stared around, studying the water, the rocks, and the surrounding area in amazement. I kept touching my arms and legs, to just make sure that I was still truly alive. I noticed I was bleeding and laughed, apologizing for bleeding in his boat.
So...some bruised ribs, swollen nose, slight hairline fractures in my ankle, foot & tail bone, along with some little cuts, scrapes and bruises later, I am doing MUCH better.
It took a good three days before I really started feeling any pain. And yes, I had a good cry. I remember getting back to the hotel and standing in front of the mirror, staring deep into my own eyes. Something was different. I don�t fully remember saying this out loud, in fact I thought I had only thought it, but everyone that saw me, repeated to me the very first words I spoke when I finally did speak again. I said, �I just met God.�
And, like I said, it was a good three days before I really started to feel any pain. The next day I hiked into Iguana Park, climbed a tree high up into the canopy of the rain forest, did some horizontal repelling across the canopy, some 300 feet across, and then repelled 125 feet back down.
On our last day, we drove on a hot, stinky bus for two hours and then took a two-hour boat ride over to Tortuga Islands to play in the ocean. It was beautiful and sunny and the perfect ending to an exhausting but amazing trip. On the boat ride back, the dolphins swam with us.
Costa Rica is truly amazing.
I think next year I am gonna just sit on the beach somewhere and drink Margaritas. (Yeah, right.)
I tell you what, though�it really makes one think. How lucky we all truly are, to be here in the first place. What a gift we all have! I learned a lot about myself, looking into the �eye of the tiger� as Walter put it. I am so thankful to be here, to be living this life. And what a new respect for the awesome forces of Mother Nature I now have!
Spread those happy feelings.
