Living in California many of us Mom's have pools. Swimming playdates and parties are frequent. On one such occasion a friend of mine came to a pool party and immediately stripped down and jumped in the pool. The other Moms stared. She looked around.
"Is nobody going in the pool? Do we not do that?"
Sadly, we don't.
Whether it's we haven't shaved, have not worked out enough, don't want to get our hair wet or are just too tired, we Mom's don't get in the pool. It's sad.
I watch the kids playing in the pool with reckless abandon. Jumping off the side of the pool making crazy faces and poses. I see them squirt each other with water guns and use our floating toys as surf boards. Their joy is palpable.
Don't get me wrong, we Moms are having our laughs, sharing, chatting but...
We're not jumping in the pool.
It seems the weight of all our responsibilities is too heavy. We might sink to the bottom of the pool. We're trying to keep our lives afloat through first days of school, homework, job stress, making dinner, making time for our husbands, working out, or not working out, laundry, caring for pets, caring for parents, social obligations, and steeling ourselves from run ins with mean Moms who might say
"Oh my GOD did you see her in a bathing suit? I would never show my body if it looked like THAT."
My friends innocent jumping in the pool and looking at us saying "Do we not do that?"
Made me realize. No we don't.
I want you to make a pact with me. The next time you are at a pool party, a swim playdate, a vacation, an indoor pool, or even the YMCA....jump in the pool. Get your hair wet. Let your kids see you have fun and not worry about all there is to do. Let yourself not worry about how you look or what everyone else thinks.
Hold my hand. Let's jump together.
Let's jump in the pool.
!
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