Tub Time - Another Small Victory

Saturday was just one of those days where I felt like I was on the go from morning till night with hardly a minute to feel like I could breathe. That’s not usually how I like to spend my day off, but my list of things to do had grown throughout the week. 

After getting up before 7:00 (Yeah, and on weekends that’s a BIG DEAL because I LOVE my sleep and look forward to sleeping in on Saturdays every week) to get in a 7-mile run before heading out to help my daughter's dance team with a jog-a-thon, and then being tired and cold I was feeling pretty much done. The day then consisted of getting my haircut, grocery shopping, and getting the gym to lift weights. Oh yes, and also shopping for new running shoes. (I found some but had to order them as I seem to be picky when it comes to the color of my running shoes.) 

By the time I got home It was nearly 6:00pm and all I could think about was making dinner and relaxing, which brings me to the point I wanted to talk about in this post. 

One of the things I have always enjoyed in my life was water. I’m sure my parents would agree, spending part of my early childhood growing up in California and having a swimming pool in my backyard, that I was a fish! These days I often tell my husband that I would enjoy a hot tub as soaking in the tub has become one of my favorites. Has it always been? Not at all. In fact for most of my life, I couldn’t even fit into the tub. It was one of those things that just wasn’t really an option for me. I mean, I guess I could have fit but by the time I would have gotten in there, there wouldn’t have been much room for water. The few times I tried it, it was miserable. Who wants to sit in a tub (Oh, and I better mention I have never had a soaker-style tube so it’s just a standard size tub) and have to squish in and then not even be able to fill the water much or it will flood over the bathroom floor? 

Not only that…it left me nothing but disappointment to see my unclothed body laying there, above water, trying to take a so-called bath. It was depressing. It just reminded me of how fat I was and left me very little hope of ever being anything different. With that in mind, I avoided the tub for many, many years. It wasn’t until after I started running and after having bi-lateral foot surgery that I decided to try it out again.  It was something I was drawn to not for enjoyment at first but for something to help my muscles and feet recover. 

Last night as I filled the tub with warm water and bubbles even, I relished in the fact that I could comfortably fit in the tub. Not only that, I could sink beneath the bubbles and not an ounce of my body showed. (Sorry if that’s TMI for some.) It caught me off guard really, as it was something I guess I hadn't thought about but just suddenly noticed. It made me remember the times I had not been able to fit and how miserable I was. This time, I was relaxed, happy, and just celebrating the moment and the fact that I could do things I thought I never could. Some might think it's silly that I find joy in the fact that I can fit in the bathtub comfortably these days, but it's another one of those small victories that sneak up on you and remind you of how far you've come.

All things are possible. Even when they seen unreasonable or so out of reach. Now, the facts of life are...it's not always easy, but in the end, I'm finding it's so worth it!