Hold On Lea, We Are Going!

It is summer and the pool always reminds me of this story! As I had mentioned before, our family lived right next to each other at one point. There was my brother’s house which was originally my parent’s home. He built my mother and father a home on part of the same 10 acres to the east of him. Then next to them was where my sister lived. Anyway, my brother had a pool at his house that we swam in. It was a really nice pool with a deep end of about 7.5 feet. We loved being able to swim in it! My brother had two children. At this time, I think my niece, Jennifer, was in her teens and little Erin was about 4 or 5.

My niece, Lea, and I, were swimming one day. It was a very nice, warm, calm day. We were on rafts and just sort of drifting off in our own thoughts, eyes closed, totally enjoying the day. Eventually, we noticed that we were floating quite a bit. I did not mention it and neither did she. Finally I asked her how it was that we were floating so nicely on such a calm day. She replied that she had no idea. We both sort of said, “Hmmm” and went back to our own daydreams.

Some time later, we hear this little tiny voice, sort of filled with water from swimming, sort of sounding a bit like Pee Wee Herman, say, “Hold on, Lea, we are going!” We both raised up on our rafts and turned around to the sound of the voice. There was my tiny little niece, Erin! She had been swimming and swimming, pulling both of our rafts around the pool! Amazing! Lea and I immediately broke out into laughter. We jumped off of our rafts and asked her how long she had been there. She was just giggling away. We asked her if she was worn out by tugging us around. She just giggled. She is such a pretty little girl and those dimples when she smiles, oh my!!!!

To this day, I have no idea how that tiny little girl was hauling us all around the pool. I realize they say that things are lighter in the water, but wow! She has always been a little fish in the water, though. I think she was swimming at two years old, if not at age one!

This story, for some reason, always makes us laugh. At times when we remember it we say to one another, “Hold on, Lea, we are going!” That will always make us laugh.