mid-life crisis?

You have to love European Swimming. There is so much to offer every kind of person alive. The Germans, especially, love their pools and take great pride in making it a great experience for the entire family. Americans love to make fun of the Germans, about how they go topless, and the women don't shave their armpits, and how the men wear speedo's when they shouldn't. But really, it is not that bad these days---although the speedo thing is still part of everyday swimming life.

We took the kids to our favorite pool yesterday.... well, it is like a water park. There are 3 major pools and then 2 hot tubs, a baby pool, the "tube" (water slide) and our favorite part---the rapids. I kid you not that it is like white water. People have to be 10 to get on, but even I have more than one injury resulting from that 40 second near-death experience. The end has a rip-tide effect so you must be a strong swimmer to even participate.

Anyway, one of those pools is a therapy pool, salt water and lots of water jets for massage...above and below water. This seems to be the pool that couples end up in---usually doin' a lot of smoochin' and plenty of PDA.

Yesterday, I was feeling a tad-middle aged as a few of the young adults were making fun of an elderly couple who were holding hands. I'll admit they were both extremely overweight, but neither seemed to care as the husband held out his hand and helped his wife up the stairs and out of the pool.

I reflected for a few minutes on how sweetly he looked at her....I imagine that he still only saw the girl he married those many years ago. Time is funny that way. While I don't always get that new-relationship-flutter with him, I still see my husband as the guy I married. When we look at pictures of when we were dating or first married, we have changed so much. But when I look at him, he is still that guy.....and I don't see his 40-something self.

Anyway--back to the couples..... As I sat back and watched the interaction between them, their reactions to this couple, and then their smooching and cuddling (ech), I felt like I wanted to scream at them to enjoy this moment in their lives. I felt like telling them that we all started out cute and in love..... we didn't all start out looking this bad in a bathin' suit.... or feeling like this when we're middle aged. I never thought this is where I'd be at almost 37----I certainly never thought I would be as big as I am now....I didn't dream that Father Time wouldn't be so unkind to my body, and I certainly wouldn't allow him to make his mark on my face! Hah. I thought being married to a soldier, an MP to boot, would be so romantic. I laugh some days when I remember how I thought life would be. Boy, was I naive! I remember thinking how great it would be to have our own home, and how we would live so differently than our parents. I mean, Why would we want to keep worn out furniture????? Amazing how perspective enlightens. Life is so strange sometimes....and sometimes I get so scared when it passes by so quickly---and other times, I can't wait for what the next phase will bring.