44 - The Sleepy Blue Ocean

When I was a little girl, we traveled to Lake Tahoe for a family reunion. We stayed in some condos with a fantastic swimming pool. One day, I spent a significant amount of time (I say 5-6 hours, my parents say 10-12 hours) in the pool and when everyone went down to the lake in the afternoon, I was not allowed to get in because I had been in the water too long...or some other silly reason - I'm not sure - all I know is I wasn't allowed to swim in Lake Tahoe. I'm still bitter.

I have always loved the water - swimming pools, rivers, lakes, and most especially, the ocean. I love the sound the waves make. I love boating and skiing. I love the view of the sun setting or rising on the water's edge. I love swimming in water and I love drinking an ice cold glass of water. I love sitting on the edge of water and listening. I even subscribed to Coastal Living for a few years - just to look at the pictures of homes near water. I love the water.

My happiest memories are associated with water - fishing with my Dad and brothers, laying in the sun on a floating dock, swimming for the high school swim team coach when I was 12, laying in a lounge chair on the deck of a cruise ship, walking in the ocean along the Oregon coast, riding the waves of the lake on a tube in a storm, watching orca jump while working out, swimming parties at my place with my nieces and nephews, snorkeling in Hanama Bay, boating in Sitka, driving along The Great Ocean Road in Australia, and most significantly, coming up out of the waters of baptism.

I am grateful for the water that sustains the life of my physical body and for the Living Water that sustains my spirit. Water is one of the greatest gifts in my life.

#44 on my list of Favorite Things is WATER.