“A Painful Lesson” by Anna Kretzer was a very powerful piece about drowning. Kretzer shared her story of drowning and the consequences she faced years after the incident. She was able to beautifully write about such a traumatic event, while not sounding traumatized but now knowledgeable and experienced, for she gained wisdom and learned her lesson.
     I enjoyed this piece because of the insight it gave me. Anna refers to a very relatable situation, of children ignoring their parents who tell them not to turn their backs to the waves. I, just like Anna, very often ignore this warning, and Anna’s story put me in my place. What she suffered both during drowning and afterward taught me a lesson as well. The pain that she suffered in her back for years to come proved to me that it is indeed important to heed the warning of our elders. Her story gave me perspective and I thank her for that.