There are no rules.

Rules and laws have certainly changed in my lifetime. There were unwritten rules about what women could and couldn't do when I was growing up. I remember asking my older sisters if I could be a Pastor and they said no that I couldn't. Despite the fact that becoming a woman Pastor was not available to me in 1969 when I started college, it is interesting to know that my career  was spent "ministering" to others. The recent movie "Hidden Figures" sure pointed out the rules in the 1950's and made me appreciate the progress made because the rules changed.

There's a rule on a sign at the side of the pool at Family Wellness that says "No games or swimming where you hold your breath for extended periods of time under water". I imagine that a lifeguard or two came up with that rule after being scared that someone was drownding.

I love to swim. So much so that it doesn't bother me to get in a swimsuit. There are both men and women at the Senior aquacize class that I attend. We are of all shapes and sizes but once we get in the water, you can't really see our differences. The biggest things we have in common are that we enjoy water and we want to be more fit. That over-rides an un-written rule that says people of a certain age or shape shouldn't be in a swimsuit. There are no rules!

One thing I tried to teach my kids is that the things that we are so obsessed about are often not even noticed by others. People have so much of their own insecurities to deal with that they don't notice your insecurities.  On top of that, confident (not arrogant) people project a different image despite their shape or size or haircut or clothes.   Have you ever known someone who actually glowed with confidence and joy?

 I still experience insecurities but I am much more confident in this body of mine. I love feeling strong and healthy and I truly don't care what others think when I wear a swimsuit or my other workout gear. If they don't like it, too bad because I do and that's all that counts in that situation.

Robin Williams said: "There are no rules. Follow your heart."