Getting Back in the Swim

Most Americans resolve to lose weight when New Year’s rolls around. I would like to, but that’s not one of my resolutions. Maybe next year. I would, however, like to be in better shape and to that end my daughter Amy and I returned to our water aerobics class at the Morgan Family YMCA in Tacoma after a six month hiatus. We got back into the swim of things.

My 86 year old mother suffered two life threatening infections that bookended home renovations and the whole of which was capped by bad weather and the holidays. So last night I pulled out my familiar bag which already contained my suit, my YMCA card, my towel and my shampoo. Amy was ready and waiting for me when I came back from walking the dog and off we went wondering who we'd see.

Morgan Family has undergone some renovations and now sports a beautiful new lobby, desk, and lounge area. It may be trying to keep up with its new sister in Gig Harbor, but we love the large therapy pool at Morgan which Gig Harbor does not have and we love our instructor and classmates. Orginally we'd intended to move over to Gig Harbor when it opened, but we just couldn't leave the folks we'd got used to seeing three evenings per week.

June was the last time we’d been. January 2nd and a Friday was a good day to go back. For the most part the Y classes were on break. The adult water aerobics classes go on as usual and it was nice to not have to dodge little wet bodies in the locker room and basically have the place to ourselves. Whereas the class had become too large making it difficult to exercise in June, this last weekday of the holiday break fielded a small class of familiar faces and one new one.

Well, three new faces. The lap pool was fairly quiet. Dean, retired Special Education teacher and our instructor looked over at the lap pool and waved to two young ladies watching our elderly group bob and bounce to the music Dean provides. “Why don’t you join us,” Dean called. The girls giggled and some of speculated how old we thought they were. Middle school, we decided. A little while later they appeared at the end of the instructional pool, whispering to each other and giggling. When we looked up one tentatively asked, “Can we join you?” They were received with warm welcome and enticed into staying for volley ball after the aerobics class. They were 9th graders at two different junior highs and this class, which is largely made up of educators of one variety or another, made them feel comfortable. Who knows if they will come back, but it was lovely to have two young ladies want to splash around with a bunch of old farts.

Going back to water aerobics wasn’t on my list of resolutions. It is something that we were already doing and got interrupted. Actually, going interrupted one of my resolutions which was organizing, but spending time with Amy is divine and (unfortunately) my stuff was still waiting for me when we got home.