Literary Floats

 

My float pings between the tile walls of our rectangular-shaped pool, drifting me into the sunshine, then back into the shade. I'm immersed in the world of European elite with Emily Everett's All That Life Can Afford, then meandering through Sarah Pinborough's haunted house in We Live Here Now. Ben cranks up his 1970s pool playlist, and my only worry is not getting the pages of my book wet. 

If you'd told me a few years ago, in the melee of parenting young children, that I'd enjoy this ritual every evening, I'd have thought you were speaking of an alternate universe. But, babies don't keep and instead grow into teenagers who can enjoy a relaxing float over obsessive cannonballing. 

One of my goals for this year was to prioritize reading physical books. I go through audiobooks quickly with my multitasking mom life, and I'm so thankful I have that option available to me. However, there's something about slowing down long enough to escape into a physical book.

During the day, my work looks like schlepping my middle school daughter to early morning swim practices, seeing my teenage son off as he heads off to lifeguard our beaches, driving my middle school son to camp, driving my high school daughter to class at the local state college, cooking dinner, endless cleaning, managing the current renovation chaos, and completing my outline and chapter summaries for the next book. Summer is a slower time for my wedding photography business, and thank goodness - because - Florida heat. Once the work is finished, and my husband comes home, we settle into our floats and read. 

This ritual is breathing new life into our otherwise hectic schedule. There are always other things I could be doing, but I remind myself that this is productive and that this time is restorative. 

Here's to wishing you many restorative literary adventures this summer.