I've finally gotten up the courage to get into Cayuga Lake. I got in this morning, after standing on the edge of the dock at the cabin we are renting for a long, long time. I was looking down at the water, contemplating it's temperature for many minutes. It was shallow, and there was a NO DIVING sign carved and painted into the end of the dock. I am able to do a shallow dive, but erred on the side of caution, and jumped. I touched bottom, and didn't even get my head wet, but I made a lot of sissy-this-water-is-too-cold-and-I'm-too-old sounds as I tried to get used to it. I gasped, and sputtered, I hooted and hollered, all the while Robin stood there on the end of the dock too, watching me act like a baby. Finally, he did a shallow dive and came up, cool as a cucumber and we swam out toward the middle for a minute, and then back. He was done. I sat in the shallow edge and skipped stones after he went inside the cabin, and enjoyed the solitude, the stillness and the sunshine. The lake at the edge is delightfully warm and calming. I used to sit at the water's edge for hours and hours when I was very young. I grew up in that lake and learned to swim by myself at the water's edge. I was very meditative today, skipping stones and thinking about everything, and nothing.
I write about this, because I have only 4 weeks to train for a swim across Cayuga Lake, an event called "Women
Swimmin," a fundraiser for the local
Hospicare Center. I have done this swim in August for 2 years now. It is a huge challenge, but it is also a real fun and feel good all-empowering women-only thing for me too. Last August, as I was getting ready to head off to Tokyo, I was interviewed by the local newspaper as I was quoted as saying something like, "If I can swim across Cayuga Lake, I can face Tokyo." I am not sure how true that turned out to be, but I do know that for me, facing personal challenges does make me stronger, and helps me really know who I am. The 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer, the swim across the Lake, the year in Tokyo, all tested my mettle in different ways and I am proud of the way I faced them. I am also deeply grateful for my health, and the ability to face such physical and mental challenges.
Tomorrow I am going to visit my dear friend Cathryn who is recovering from heart surgery. She has faced serious physical challenges due to a heart condition for her entire life. She is a woman with amazing spirit, a zest for life, a great sense of humor and a wonderful family. She inspires me with her strength, faith and courage, and how she faced the last days before her most recent surgery. (It was a scary time, and across the miles between the US and Japan,
she was comforting
me.) She is doing very well now. I am thrilled by her progress this week, and am hoping that the doctors will set her free before too long. I tell you this, because
it's how you face the challenges in life that counts. So, I will now have to get serious about my training schedule. The swim is in early August. Last year 250 swimming women raised more than $75,000 for
Hospicare.
That is a celebration of LIFE, my friends.
That is loving your neighbor.
That is taking care of each other, strangers and friends alike. That is the strength of women who swim. That was what I was thinking about today, as I sat on the beach and skipped stones.
If you would like to sponsor my swim, please go to:
http://womenswimmin.org/You can sponsor me by clicking on "Make a donation." and then type in my last name in the search window. By sponsoring me, you will be caring for people who are facing the biggest challenge of their lives.
Thank you.
