the joys of together: lake swims & ice cream cones

this week has been challenging in ways i don’t think either of us anticipated. the adjustments to alex’s new life have brought up a lot of unresolved discussions that we last had years ago, right before alex started at the agency. while we are both much more aware and evolved than we were then, the issues that have bubbled up are all the more painful and difficult because of the tenuous memory of that time. so we decided to take some time to have fun and reconnect. we are currently car-sitting for alex’s business partner, so on thursday we went where we always go when we need a quick getaway: alex’s aunt’s house in harbert. we grabbed lunch at journeyman distillery, then headed to the house to park the car and grab bikes and towels. the waves were historic, and characteristic of how alex so fondly remembers that beach. big, easily 8-foot waves crashed and rolled against the shore, but swimmers old and young were delighting in the energy of the water. we swam out to join others on a sandbar further out than i’ve ever been. we jumped, ducked, and were pushed around and had the most wild fun we’ve had in a long time. we returned to our towels too tuckered to read, but we tried. and when we got hot, we dove right back in and swam to that same sandbar to do it all again. alex pointed out on our drive home that we don’t often experience a 10/10 swim, and that one truly was. the water was warm enough to stay in for a long time, and the waves were cleansing, energizing, and wild. it really doesn’t get any better than what we experienced. on friday night we ventured to a local soft-serve and burger spot in our neighborhood to have a cone and enjoy the purity and innocence of the evening. we always have our best chats while moving - whether in a car or walking - and the stress and tension of the last two weeks melted away as we licked our cones and walked in the fading light of dusk. it is really hard to acknowledge the difficulty of our current situation when we thought that this - what we are doing now - would be the answer. we are slowly realizing that, first of all, we need patience with the journey and with each other above everything else. we are also learning that there might not be an answer - at least not as quickly as we were hoping. with different circumstances come a different set of pros and cons, and all you can do is attempt to understand them and make the pros work for you while mitigating the experiences and effects of the cons as best you can. it’s a hard reality to accept when what you really wanted was a final solution - even if rationally you knew that was impossible. we savored the time spent thinking of nothing else but the wave in front of us, or trying to keep our cone from dripping. we said sorry, knowing there are so many more apologies to come. we took the time to find a simplicity and to remind each other that, no matter what, we still choose to be together every day. and that is the simplest, most important, and sometimes the most challenging, but most joyous choice of all.