Every weekday morning at 6:30 at the lower pool, there is a water aerobics class, (which is well attended) and lasts for an hour. It isn’t my thing, nor is getting up at 6:15 to attend it, so I do my workout after the class is over, after 7:30 AM. If I can get my butt to the pool by 8:00, it is usually empty or sparsely populated and I can swim my laps and do my stretches in solitude. This morning, I was at the pool just as the class was finishing and I enjoyed the use of the pool completely alone and undisturbed until I was almost finished my workout.

At the end of my swim and crunches, I sprawl myself out and float on my back with my ears below the water’s surface, blocking out any outside noises. It is during this time that I really appreciate the many “gifts” I enjoy and I ponder the good fortune I enjoy in my life. I am so grateful for my family and friends, having my good health, my ability to see the beauty around me, the people who have crossed my path and will cross my path (both the nice ones and the not so nice ones). I am thankful to have a wonderful husband who is also my best friend and someone who enjoys the same things I do. Everyday I think of so many things, it would take pages to list them all and I realize I truly lead a “charmed” life. My alone “floating” time in the pool allows me to meditate and count my blessings.

Starting each day that way helps me face any situation with a positive attitude and maintain a cheerful demeanour no matter what. I love my life, every moment of it, (despite an occasional whine) and I know I am truly blessed and I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it for anything.