Why I like swimming:

This weekend the neighborhood pool opened.

Monday morning I was in my suit and on my way by 7:30. I cut through our neighbors yard (sorry Neighbors, I’m probably not going to stop doing that…) and the grass was still wet from the night before. My wet feet slid around in my flip-flops with every uneven step. That’s when the memories started to flood my brain.

I remember early mornings, hopping on my bike, riding up the street first to throw rocks at my friends’ windows (because it was way TOO early to ring the doorbell) and riding through the neighborhood while people’s sprinklers were still on. It was usually too cold to sit outside comfortably, but the water was the perfect temperature. After being in the pool in the morning, the ride home would dry out your hair in the ugliest possible fashion. But nobody cared because you’d clearly just been at the pool. By the time I got home I was always starving, and mostly dry so I didn’t feel the need to shower right away anyway. Last night’s watermelon out on the counter made the perfect breakfast.

Yesterday, I could smell the chlorine before I even got to the gate and it smelled like summertime in Lindon.

Nobody else is even at our neighborhood pool that early in the morning because the pool is mostly used by small children and sun-bathers. 7:30 is not the peak time for either making it the PERFECT time for me.

I started swimming laps and felt the water soak my hair from the second I pushed off the wall. I can only go 3/4 the length of the pool in one breath today, but by the end of the summer I’m sure I can do the full length.

After some laps, and walking around feeling the resistance of the water on my hands and arms, I just sat and treaded in the “deep end” (for the record 5’ doesn’t count as deep but it is enough to float in). I love the feeling of floating, of treading, and even of sinking.

While I sat there by myself doing flips and floating around, I decided this is what Thomas must feel like. He’s just in there floating around all day long, everything sounds muffled, and feels warm. Having that water surround me feels safe, comfortable, happy and easy. I hope that’s what he thinks. I hope he feels safe, comfortable, happy and easy.

It’s not like I needed a new reason to love being in the water, but feeling like I know what he’s feeling is just 1 more reason I love to swim.