This photo captures perfectly why a 45-year-old woman has her birthday party at a pool. And she does so every year.
I am that 45-year-old woman. Nothing makes me happier than children at a pool. These are my children. I was in hospital rooms holding their parents when they were born. I was at their first birthday parties. I was the friend who was called when their parents were at their wits’ end. To them, I am Lala and Sloanie and Aunt Sloane. I love them all deeply.
Birthdays are awesome, but pool parties with children are out of this world. I find that I have infinite patience when I am soaking in chlorinated water in bright sunshine. I will play “monkey in the middle” and throw gutter balls for hours. I will stand with my feet at the distance of my shoulders and be a “bridge” that can be swum through. I will throw diving sticks in random formation for “lung capacity competitions”. I will be an “island” in deep water for kids to cling to, and I will always hoot and holler for dives and impressive jumps from a diving board – the low one or the high one. I will do all these things, and not just on my birthday.
And, on non-party days when I’m at the pool for R&R, I can easily fall asleep on a lounger to the sounds of children splashing. General pool noise can lull me into a welcome nap.
My friend Andy said it perfectly this year when he stated, “Weren’t we just here?” And I shared his pain with how fast the years are rolling around for all of us. I cherish my day at the pool with my family, and I soak up every minute of it.
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