A Gibson Girl

Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, it’s swimming pool opening time for a lot of folks in the U.S. I went to the pool this morning, before it got too hot. It was packed with kids, but, surprisingly, they preferred to stick to one area, so I could actually swim. 

The water was cold—a shock to the skin, but it’s going to be in the 90s today, so the water will warm up quickly. As I was swimming, I saw a little girl and her mother come in the pool area. The little girl was gung-ho to get in the water, and wiggled impatiently while her mom attached her floaties. Once she was free, the girl charged for the water—and then immediately stepped out. 

Her mom approached and gently nudged her in. 

“I don’t wanna, Mama,” she whimpered. “It’s too cold!“ 

(This is the first time I’ve ever heard a girl pre-puberty have that stop her from diving in)

Eventually her mom cajoled her into getting her feet wet. But the girl was very wary of the cold water.