Not a Fish

I am not a water bug.  When the oppressively hot days of summer come knocking, my first instinct is to stay indoors in the central air and read a good book.  It is definitely not to pack up my kids and take them to the pool.

Here’s a shocking confession: I’ve never even been to our local outdoor aquatic center. 

Now don’t be tempted to feel too sorry for my littles.  We do a big Adventureland trip each year where they spend most of their time at the waterpark.  Last year our family vacation was to a hotel with an indoor waterpark where the kids swam for 2 ½ solid days.  They get to go swimming now and then, but it isn’t a part of our summer routine.

I don’t love wearing a swimming suit.  I just don’t.  I overthink it and I’m too self-conscious.  I happen to have a suit I love and quite honestly if something happened to it then I might just decide to never ever swim again.  Which wouldn’t bother me at all.

I’m not a great swimmer.  Even though I grew up on a farm my Mom was great about taking us to the local pool in town at least once a week.  We had swimming lessons.  I flunked them.  Every.  Single.  Time.  Once you fail a level three times, your will to keep trying sort of fizzles out.  I can doggy paddle with the best of them.  I can sort of swim.  I probably won’t drown in a swimming pool.  That’s going to have to be good enough.

At various points of my childhood we would have one of those kiddie pools set up in the yard where my siblings and I would enjoy swimming.  That was a-ok with me.  But after a few days the water would get pretty dirty with grass clippings or leaves or dead bugs (blech) and I’d be done.

I’m probably the polar opposite of many of you.  And while I am tempted to be a little embarrassed by admitting all this, I am trying instead to just own it. 

I don’t like swimming.  Those days at waterparks with my kids, I am only smiling because I am with them.  Without them, I would be 110% miserable.  I’m not afraid of the water, but I don’t like it. 

My kids, at this very moment, are in the front yard with a 5 gallon bucket full of water.  They are splashing each other and chasing each other with a little watering can.  They’re having a blast.  And that is the kind of summer I hope we hang onto.  

(P.S.  They got a LOT wetter after this picture was taken!!)