Summertime nostalgia
As the final school bells ring and the academic year ends, I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief mixed with anticipation in the air. Summer is upon us once again, with its promise of warmer days, endless adventures, and, of course, the cherished tradition of pool days. Many of my freckles are thanks to endless days spent poolside and the reckless lack of SPF.
In Helena, my family’s communal pool served as the backdrop for countless childhood escapades. I spent endless hours of my childhood in the saltwater and still will drive from north Alabama to the Birmingham area to meet up with family to spend a day there.
From dawn till dusk, the saltwater oasis echoed with laughter and the sounds of games played with siblings and cousins.
Whether it was a spirited game of Marco Polo or daring dives off the diving board, each day brought new adventures. I don’t have many memories of my maternal greatgrandparents, but one I retain of my great-grandfather, J.E. Bearden, is when he walked down to the pool in his dress pants to remove a mouse from the filter. In my mind’s eye I can see him holding it by its tail, making my cousins and me shriek in disgust.
Now, as the years have passed, the dynamics have shifted. Many of us have grown busy with the demands of adulthood, juggling careers, families, and responsibilities that often leave little time for leisurely pool days. Yet, the nostalgia remains palpable, a reminder of simpler times when the only thing on our agenda was to soak up the sun and enjoy the company of loved ones.
As I reflect on those sun-kissed days of my youth, I can’t help but feel a twinge of longing for the carefree summers of years gone by. But amidst the nostalgia, there’s also a sense of hope and renewal, as we pass the torch of tradition to the next generation.
Now, as parents ourselves, or as busy individuals navigating the complexities of life, it’s our turn to create new memories and traditions for our children and loved ones. Perhaps it won’t be as frequent as it once was, but the magic of pool days remains a timeless symbol of summer’s embrace, but this time applying layers of sun block every hour to keep the early wrinkles at bay.
