Some of the most important moments in my short life story can be earmarked with a skinny dip. The day I realized I'd found a best friend: we skinny dipped in the river on a warm June afternoon. The day my heart fluttered for my future husband: we swam under the stars on a warm summer night. The day before I married the man: I jumped into the cool waters with at least a dozen cousins. The evening I realized my mom was young at heart still: we dunked our bodies into cleansing cool waters and giggled like young girls when we came up for air. The months before the birth of my son: I floated, light as a feather for the first time in months, in the salty waters of St. Lucia. The months before the birth of my beautiful daughter: I ran across the air strip and plunged in the cool Montana mountain waters, big belly gleaming in the sun.
And it is becoming a tradition: on a yearly basis when all the family members migrate from across the country for our annual family reunion, we girls- knowing full well the importance of a dip with dear women- brave the cold waters and never regret it. It stirs the blood inside of us and amplifies any joy that comes from sharing a beer around a campfire or stomping our feet across the dance floor at the Dirty Shame Saloon.
Gals need a dip from time to time. They're cleansing in more ways than one.
