I hope you had as relaxing a Spring Break as I did (unless you’re down under, getting ready for autumn). Tomorrow, I’ll pick up again with the how to’s of teaching swimming strokes and fundamentals. Today, though, I’m just happy to be back, remembering that the point of the whole thing is to have fun.
Whether it’s in the pool or the ocean, a river or a lake, swimming is one of the most luxurious, sensual ways of moving your body. Especially if you’re swimming in a natural body of water—sorry, swimming pools—swimming lets you connect with nature in a powerful, elemental way. Interacting with a wave or a current forces you into a different way of seeing the world, a different way of relating to the water, and a different sense of where you end and the world around you begins. It also triggers the use of parts of your brain that lie dormant when you’re sitting in front of the computer or even doing something active but land-based. When you teach your kids to swim, you not only teach them a critical safety skill, but you also give them the ability to experience that deep connection with the water.
In a few weeks, I’ll get a chance to swim in warm ocean water. For the first time, my son will be a strong enough swimmer to join me. We’ll get to share the weightless feeling of being buoyed by a gentle swell. We’ll probably also get to splutter together and giggle after being tossed by a wave. What could be better than that?