Darling Dorothy

I have to confess....I have not been to the gym for a while. I had other priorities but have now been able to adjust my schedule to get back into the pool. I have been twice in the past week and let me tell you I am stiff and sore. It was so fun to see my group of "swimming buddies." The first one to paddle over to say she had missed me was Dorothy. I met Dorothy when I first started at that gym almost three years ago. She will be 80 soon and is spry and healthy. As we got to know each other she told me one day that when she turned 75 she was so weak and sick that she had to have help getting out of a chair. Her Doctor told her to get in the pool and get moving. She shared how hard it was to even go shopping for a swimming suit. But she was fed up with  not feeling good and missing out on life. She started going to the pool almost every day. She lost a bit of weight but gained back her strength and confidence. She loves to flex her muscles in her arm and have us feel it. I watch her climb up the ladder on the side of the pool and she is a tiny bit shaky but does fine.  She really is amazing. She could have said okay Doctor and not done it or just said to herself....I guess this is my life...but she decided to fight.  I have had people tell me that they look at me being able to do what I have done at...gasp...my age. I look at Dorothy and think of what she has been able to do at her age. I guess I just want to say. Don't give up. Keep on going.