Literally

I have an abundance of happy, summertime childhood memories. Nearing the top of that list would be our almost daily visit to the lakefront park. There we had access to two pools, a small beachfront, boat docks, tennis and basketball courts, a playground and picnic area. Two or three times a week my mother would pack up whatever she made for dinner (no matter how complicated or ethnic the meal) and we'd take it to the park. After dinner, we'd swing for an eternity. As an older child, my brother Matthew and I were allowed to ride our bikes there. We would spend the day playing at the pool and beach. In my late teens and twenties my friends and I would perfect our tan poolside.

I wanted Julia to have that connection and love for the park. She is a water baby, so of course she loves being there. As the home stretch of summer is upon us there is an urgency to get there as much as possible. Before we all know it cruel winter will be upon us. And what is taken for granted in July is cherished in August. Even the August bees seem to be agitated by summer's plan to exit.

In the last week or so Julia has come into her own on the diving board. She loves both the low and high dive. She walks to the edge of the board, adjusts her goggles, contemplates whether she should do a real swim class dive (elbows locked above her head, palm over hand, fingers arching toward the water below) or some crazy one of her own design (one bears a striking resemblance to the Karate Kid's crane technique) and then she just goes for it. After a few dives, the swim to the ladder in the 12' area can get tiring for one as small as her. She was climbing up the ladder and looked like she needed a minute. Already heading back to the board, I stopped her and said, "Take a minute and catch your breath." She looks at me with her condensation filled goggles and nods approval of my suggestion. She cups her hand an inch or two in front of her mouth and loudly exhales. The cupped hand then closes into a fist and she continues walking to the board. It takes me a moment to realize that she literally caught her breath.