Say Yes. Why Not?
The Beauty of an Invitation
Beautiful beauties,
We’re entering the second half of April, and it’s ass cold here in the Pacific Northwest, with highs barely hitting 50 degrees…. BUT no weather disasters, and the cherry blossoms have been off the hook gorgeous, holding their own through the feisty winds and rains. The bubble to our pool is down so we’re swimming outdoors beneath eagles and rumbling clouds, AND — and and and —
—some of us did a SWIM MEET over the weekend!🐬🧜🏼♀️
This story is about the beauty & magic of an invitation.
On March 21, I received an unexpected text from swim pal, Danielle.
😳😳
Here lies the confusion: Danielle is one of the faster swimmers on our Masters team (swim team for adults), and has set herself some bold racing goals this year. I have been a limp noodle in the pool, with zero racing goals. I am not one of the faster on the team, and swim a couple lanes down from Danielle in the speed hierarchy. The two other relay swimmers, Erica and Katie, are also much faster, younger swimmers.
What on earth was Danielle even thinking?
OF COURSE I “SHOULD” SAY NO.
Instead, the invite went down something like this:
It’s hard to say no when the cool fast girls ask you to play. And, I’m a bit of a play slut. I rubbed my hands together, texted Danielle my meet entry, and was ready to get to work.
The meet was PNA Champs Meet, i.e., a two-day extravaganza mid-April that brings teams together from the Northwest area.
Then our pool closed.
And the story gets better! (The existential invitations keep coming!).
Plan B: the four of us aka Team Nauti turned to the local community pool, grumbling about the bad timing of our pool closing … and proceeded to have a BLAST at the beautiful community pool, where we splashed around with other swim friends, and chatted with old pals across lanes and new ones in the locker room. SO FUN.
PSA: I LOVE PUBLIC POOLS!
And on the final day at the public pool, the cool fast girls gave me a swimsuit. I was initiated as the honorary cool fast girl. Can you believe such kindness? Look at those three goddesses! (I’m more of a sprite.)
The meet came, we all rocked it, had a wonderful time. Danielle swam a meet record in the 400 IM; Erica found her groove after thinking she’d never race again and broke the 1997 age group record in the 50 butterfly, and Katie raced magnificently at almost 5 months pregnant. For me, the previously unthinkable 1000 free was a total blast, and it woke up my athlete spirit. I swam the 1000 in honor of the ultimate swim pixie friend Jesse Pace who is off causing mischief in the great beyond.
From the initial invitation all the way through to arriving home after the meet—an unexpected surprise and beautiful, inspiring life movement bundled into a three week sprint. You can’t plan these things, BUT—
You can make space for the magic. One word. YES. Or two: Why not!
Here are a few prompts to swirl around:
What if a bit of life’s secret sauce, a surprise, love, connection, big-wow-oneness, and a simple touching gesture starts in an invitation.
Imagine that you’re getting micro-dosed with a buffet of invitations all day, week, year long, yet only hear/see a fraction of them? Up for being on the look out?
What if you raised our invitation-listening antenna,
What if you said yes to just one intriguing invitation?
How about extending an invitation?
What could your Swim Meet Yes be?
What is your: That’s a terrible idea, what time?
Here’s an invitation for you—the next pop-up salon: Let’s Re-imagine Marriage. Register here. Why Not?
I love your zest for life, T!
Fantastic. I love hearing about the world of swimming, about which I know almost nothing, and that you found your athlete.