I love to swim. I’m not sure why I don’t make more of an effort during these hot days — so rare — but yesterday I took a drive to one of my favorite lakes. The place was teeming with kids, tourists and others — but I swam out, turned towards to the mountains and let the noise wash around me.

It’s such a lovely lake; so gentle and I have a feeling she loves the laughter of children in her waters. I‘m not as patient and it normally irritates me because I am spoiled with having the lake to myself. But yesterday, their shouts sounded like life. I watched a little girl throw a tantrum because she only had 10 minutes left to swim and I laughed because that was so me at her age. I floated and swam and twisted up to look at the sky. The day was perfect. I thought about Naya Rivera who slipped into the water and never returned. I thought about how the lake will be here long after I’m gone and how lucky I am to have this beautiful cove any time I wish. How lucky I am to go home, make a salad and have cool sheets to wrap around my body, still here — still here.