My Lovely Bones

The past few months I have tried to make a concerted effort to take better care of myself. I walk nearly every day, eat healthier, and have almost completely given up Diet Coke. The results are slow, but definitely present. I'm sleeping better, have lost a little weight, am more patient with my kids, and am generally a bit nicer to be around.

After doing my Saturday 3-mile loop around the park, I took Tinkerbell to Provo Rec to go swimming. As a rule, I avoid swimming pools almost like the plague. I'll go under duress, but never voluntarily. That's a very bad thing in Tinkerbell's book, and she never lets me forget it.

Maybe it's because I'm feeling more athletic, I don't know, but today I happily went with her. While she went to get some things out of our locker, I swam some laps. I love the way everything around you goes silent when you're under water. You become so aware of your breathing and the rhythm of the whole experience of swimming. And then the coolest thing happened.

This is very hard to explain, so be patient with me. For a few moments, I actually felt my bones inside of me. I could feel the real me inside of my body, not the older me that has taken over (and should be sued for negligence). I felt how small I am inside of me, how strong, powerful, and, dare I say it, sexy. It felt so good! I can't remember the last time I felt so connected to my body in such a good way.

I'm going to add swimming to my repertoire of exercises that I rotate through. That is a feeling that I want to have over and over again.