Grace (pseudonym) walked gingerly towards the pool, yet confidently, almost as if she knew she was heading into a safe place. Wearing a bathing suit that likely fit long ago, she pulled the falling straps back on her narrow shoulders as she moved towards the ramp. Her caregiver, still wearing her coat, took Grace to the edge of the ramp, but then took her seat as Grace walked even more slowly down the ramp, taking the tiniest of steps, into the water. I tried not to stare and tried to focus on my own swim, but my mind wandered as I began to feel both protective and admiration.
She was thin as a reed and her skin hung loosely, as if meant for another body. "How old," I wondered as I swam another lap. Yet, it appeared that once in the heated pool, she appeared to move more gracefully.
"Can I share your lane," she whispered as she moved gracefully into my lane, and I nodded agreement as I moved to the edge of the lane, not that her tiny body needed much space! She swam so slowly that I wondered how she stayed afloat; yet, the stroke and rhythm were textbook crawl. I slowed my own pace, respectfully, yet I lapped her again and again. It took a while for her to complete on length of the pool and she rested for so long that I thought she might need help, but the life guard appeared to know her well and was close enough at any moment to reach in if she faltered.
I could not help but watch her and wonder........"How old." Then, she even more slowly than she entered, exited the water and the caregiver gracefully wrapped her in a towel around her and gently placed slippers on her feet.
I thought not only of Grace, but also the challenge of aging gracefully, the hope of hanging on to what we love, and the empowerment of warm water, as I finished my own laps and headed to the locker room.
"She's 94," I heard someone in the locker-room mutter softly as I put on my sweat pants, "She swims a couple of times a week."
"She's my hero," I heard someone else say as I put the rest of my own clothes on.
We're all aging as long as we live, but we're also all empowered by doing what we love, as long as we are alive. I hope when I am Grace's age I'm still swimming, reading and writing!
She was thin as a reed and her skin hung loosely, as if meant for another body. "How old," I wondered as I swam another lap. Yet, it appeared that once in the heated pool, she appeared to move more gracefully.
"Can I share your lane," she whispered as she moved gracefully into my lane, and I nodded agreement as I moved to the edge of the lane, not that her tiny body needed much space! She swam so slowly that I wondered how she stayed afloat; yet, the stroke and rhythm were textbook crawl. I slowed my own pace, respectfully, yet I lapped her again and again. It took a while for her to complete on length of the pool and she rested for so long that I thought she might need help, but the life guard appeared to know her well and was close enough at any moment to reach in if she faltered.
I could not help but watch her and wonder........"How old." Then, she even more slowly than she entered, exited the water and the caregiver gracefully wrapped her in a towel around her and gently placed slippers on her feet.
I thought not only of Grace, but also the challenge of aging gracefully, the hope of hanging on to what we love, and the empowerment of warm water, as I finished my own laps and headed to the locker room.
"She's 94," I heard someone in the locker-room mutter softly as I put on my sweat pants, "She swims a couple of times a week."
"She's my hero," I heard someone else say as I put the rest of my own clothes on.
We're all aging as long as we live, but we're also all empowered by doing what we love, as long as we are alive. I hope when I am Grace's age I'm still swimming, reading and writing!
4 comments:
Yes, to age gracefully ... this is a kind wish for the world and for ourselves.
Kevin
As I sit with a heating pad behind my back, I admire Grace and wish that at her age I am still walking and swimming along with reading and writing.
To age gracefully is my goal too. I would love to meet Grace. Thanks for sharing a bit of her life with us.
I love this. "Age is just a mindset". Not always the case, sometimes the body betrays the mind, but a great mindset to have.
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