My kids always enjoyed the pool.  We started out with a little hard plastic baby pool we purchased from the toy store.  I would find a sunny spot in the yard and fill the pool with hose water and put a clear shower curtain over it to allow the sun to warm the water while keeping little critters out.  Before I set my precious little girls inside I made sure the water was just right.  If it wasn’t, I ran back and forth from the kitchen to the pool with hot tap water  in order to get the perfect temperature.  Hey, that is what my Grandmother said I should do so I did it.  As the girls grew, so did the pool size.  Over the years we had a few inflatable pools in various sizes until we finally made the plunge to put a permanent above ground in the back yard.  The girls were so excited when the pool guys came to set it up.  They anxiously awaited as we filled the pool and added chemicals.  Of course I have their first plunge documented on film.

Sarah could swim pretty well by then but Gina needed floaties.  They laughed, splashed, floated and swam for hours.  Gina eventually learned to swim without the floaties and that was when the fun really began.   We would make whirlpools and then float around and around.  The girls dunked, did underwater cartwheels, had races, and swam most of the time underwater with masks and snorkels.  I used to call them my little fish.  The pool was a hub of action.

Over the past two years the plashing and dunking declined.  This year in particular was a little different.  Our pool time was more calm and subdued.  The masks stayed inside and the girls didn’t dunk at all.  Instead, they opted to use the pool noodles to float and to just relax and enjoy the water.  The pool became a place for conversation rather than swimming.  There were no distractions in the pool.  We kept our phones inside and no one was “plugged in”.   Our conversations revolved around frivolous stuff like the latest celebrity gossip, plot lines of the shows we watched , trending YouTube videos, Olympic games,  and critiquing the various songs on the radio.  The girls also talked about their summer reading books.  We had had our own little book club in the pool.   Serous topics were discussed as well such as politics and news events.  They are older now and have the ability to form their own valid opinions of people and events.   We didn’t solve the world’s problems but I think we came close!

Another topic of discussion was friendship.  We discussed how friendships evolve, thrive and unfortunately decline and some actually end.  Friendship can be fun, fulfilling and full of great memories.  But they can also be disappointing when the person you thought was a friend lets you down and hurts you with actions and words.  All three of us have experienced the latter.  A couple of times our pool time became a little therapy session.  Our ages may be different but our hurt feelings are the same.  We were able to validate each other’s feelings and provide a bit of comfort.

So as the summer season is rapidly coming to an end ,the pool activity has declined significantly.   When I look out the window and see the pool still and placid I become a little sad.  Soon, the pool will be closed, the school year will begin and our pool talk will become a memory.  I will miss it for sure.  I will have to find another way for us to communicate without distractions of the word.  I need to find an alternative to the pool.  Perhaps I can talk my husband into buying a hot tub?