Just Write {Skinny Dipping}

The little bar in the center of my tiny hometown was hot and crowded. Loud music and laughter filled the air as our 10 year high school reunion was in full swing. Being away from my kiddos and surrounded by all of my high school friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in a decade, made me feel young again. Around midnight, as we were dancing the night away and I could feel my new shirt sticking to my body, damp with sweat, someone (maybe it was me?) suggested we go for a swim at the nearby private lake. I flashed back to memories of midnight skinny dipping as I was growing up and I thought, why not?

Four of my best girlfriends and I hopped in a car giggling like high schoolers as we headed for the lake. In that moment we were totally young again, carefree and kidless. We blasted the heat in the car so that the water would feel extra refreshing once we arrived and drove right on up to the sandy shore of the lake. As we approached I could see steam rising off the warm, black water. Swiftly we ripped off our sweaty clothes and ran from the car to the end of the dock, not even hesitating to jump right on in.

I felt the cool lake water swallow me up and for a few seconds there was silence. Once my head surfaced all I could hear were squeels of laughter as water splashed around me. I can't believe we're doing this! Above us was a black, moonless sky full of a million twinkling stars. Ahead of us, the water was completely calm and undisturbed - a glossy, black satin surface reflecting the stars above.

We swam from the shore dock out to the floating dock in the middle of the lake, trying our best to muffle our giggles and keep quiet so no one would hear us. Once there, we each scrambled up the latter and dove off the diving board, plunging our bare bodies once again into the dark, smooth water. The top layer of the lake water was warm from the day's hot sun, but as we passed through it we reached the deep, icy level and quickly swam back up to the surface.

Returning to the shore, I felt so happy. Happy to be doing something spontaneous and free. Something with "my girls." And later on, in the early morning hours as I climbed in to bed with my husband and daughter, I just felt blessed. Blessed that I can still enjoy the best of both worlds - immature fun with friends and an amazing family to return home to. (And of course blessed that we didn't get caught skinny dipping!)

I think sometimes we just need a little trip back to our adolescence to make us feel young again, and to remind us that we don't always need to take life so seriously.