For 15 years—from the time I was 5 til 20–I can’t remember my mum ever swimming in the ocean.
It just wasn’t her thing, she said.
The sun too hot. The water too cold. Someone needed to watch our stuff.
However, more than a decade later, she’s been in the water every day on this recent trip to the beach.
Shocked, I asked her what changed.
She said, “As I get older, I choose to be open to new things and experiences.”
And that was it. No further explanation.
I then started to notice other small changes that have built up over the years.
She goes to the gym almost every day; something she never did when I was a kid. She reads voraciously—even more than she used to. And she’s now always up for a trip on the boat with my dad.
She’s quietly and consistently setting a great example on choosing to be more open with age.
I’m really proud of her.