Kindness

Anyone that read my FB post around 7 p.m., knows where I was tonight - the pool. And let me say this loud and clear: I DID NOT want to go. I wanted to remain on the couch, watching my DVR'd Biggest Loser episode from last night and "take the night off." Sigh. I went. And now I am home, reeking like chlorine, but of course very happy and satisfied that I pulled my shit together and went.

I am glad I went. The simplest act of kindness happened to me and it came from 2 girls, probably about 10 years old. I walked onto the lap pool deck and thought, awesome, open swim. Open swim = 2 lanes of lap swim only, while the remainder of the pool is filled with families, bobbers, divers, etc. And I write bobbers, I am not referring to fishing bobbers. You figure it out.  Needless to say, I instantly went negative in my head and thought, this workout is going to blow. I'm not going to have a decent lap, the pool wake is going to be horrible, etc. etc. etc.

And as I was standing there, surveying the situation, trying to figure out which lap lane I wanted to invade to get some yardage in, these two young girls swam from the shallow end to the deep end. Pulled off their goggles and said:

Girls: Ms, are you looking for a lane?

Me: Yes, I definitely am.

Girls: You can have our lane (they were in lane 2 = WAY BETTER THAN LANE 1. Lane 1 is next to the wall... I hate the outer lanes). We can finish our 500 yards tomorrow night.

*Remember, they are about 10.

Me: But are you finished with your swim?

Girls: No, but that's okay. We have been swimming for about 30 minutes and you look like a real good swimmer that needs a lane. (I am not making this up).

Me: Oh my gosh, you girls are so nice. Yes, I would love your lane, if you are sure.

So, they climbed out, I thanked them again, and proceeded to have a fabulous evening swim, in lane 2.

What great girls. Thanks to their parents for raising them with manners and instilling in them the importance of kindness. A simple act of kindness goes a long way.