My father taught me to swim by walking away
He’d wade out with me to where I could still just barely touch the bottom, tell me to trust him, and then start backing away — slowly at first, then faster, until there was open water between us and I had no choice but to move my own arms and legs or go under. I was seven. Every summer at that lake had a version of this lesson in it, and every summer I hated him for exactly as long…

