Karen found me slumped on the couch this afternoon, feeling sorry for myself after receiving an especially disappointing rejection. Before said rejection, I was doing great, fresh from yoga, working on a new writing project. Then the email pinged into my inbox and in the next moment, I was prone on the couch, doomscrolling Instagram and wondering why I’m such a loser. 

Let’s go for a swim! Karen said.

Yes. 

Karen is an excellent friend for pulling you out of the doldrums; funny, generous, and kind, it’s impossible not to feel better when she is around. Plus, she’s a swimmer. A strong and fast swimmer who swims year-round and who I could never dream of keeping up with. She is currently nursing an injured shoulder, though, so I was only a few hundred yards behind her as we swam around the bay and back, then around to the other side.

We swam for about a mile in all. It was a windy day; cool and sunny. The lake had a bit of chop and I bounced around as I breathed and stretched, pulled and kicked. By the time we got back I was feeling much better.