I’m a swimmer! From the age of four, I have taken to the water, fearlessly jumping in and paddling to the side of the pool, only to jump back in again. Every summer, all summer long, we spent our days at our neighborhood public pool along with most of our neighbors. Our mothers would tote us back and forth in a car full of kids, arriving right when the pool opened at 10:00 a.m. We would stay until after lunch and often return after a hasty peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Of course, we always observed the “one-hour-after-eating” rule before going back in to swim our afternoons away.
I still swim! I am a member of my local community center, and I like to swim year-round. I get up before dawn and am one of a handful of brave souls who wait for the community center staff to unlock the front doors at 5:30 a.m. Through bleary eyes, I make my way to the locker room, shed my clothes to reveal the bathing suit already underneath, and head to the pool.
Nothing quite compares to wading into the water, pressing my goggles snugly over my eyes, pushing off the wall, and taking that first long stroke through the cool water. It’s both bracing and refreshing.
I have a little community of like-minded individuals who also feel the inherent pull of the water each day. There are swimmers and water walkers alike who participate in this early morning ritual with me. Lynn, who is a much better swimmer than I am, usually arrives about 30 minutes into my swim. She is, in my mind’s eye, the friendliest person among us. She knows everyone by name and always takes the time to have a conversation, whether it’s at poolside or while strolling through the water alongside a friend.
Then there is Keith, a local hospital physician who comes to swim before his shift. He often swims alone in the early hours, like I do, but occasionally he swims with his lovely daughter, Lilly, who happens to be the spitting image of another young swimmer who is also named Lilly.
At first, I thought I simply wasn’t very good at remembering which young woman was which, until I finally asked Keith’s daughter to remind me of her name. The next time the other Lilly was swimming while Keith was there, I smiled and said, “This is our other Lilly swimmer!” Keith laughed and replied, “I kept seeing you, Lilly, and thinking, ‘She looks just like my Lilly,’ so I started calling you ‘the other Lilly.’ Now I can see why.”
The water walkers are just as dedicated a group. There is Gracey, who lives in my neighborhood and seems to take everyone under her wing. She is a kind soul who adopted two elderly dogs after their owner passed away. Both dogs struggle with skin issues, and she lovingly makes sure they receive the care they need to stay comfortable and happy.
Then there is the amazing baker, Pauline! She bakes delicious treats and brings them to her water pals at least twice a week. She’s made chocolate-dipped Oreo balls, butter brickle cookies, Southern pecan butter bread, and snickerdoodles. She rarely eats sweets herself, but she loves baking for her friends and for her husband, who is devoted to her creations.
This water-loving group also has a breakfast club once a month. We choose a restaurant that can accommodate 12 to 15 people, and we gather for a joyful breakfast together. It’s always amusing to see everyone in their street clothes after only ever knowing them in swimsuits.
I learned to love the water when I was four years old. What I never expected was that, all these years later, swimming would give me so much more than exercise. It has given me peace, purpose, laughter, and a family I never knew I needed. Who knew that something so simple—and so much fun—could bring a little more wonderful into our lives?
