It was one of those hot, humid summer days where the sun beats down on you. My family and I were escaping the heat at a swimming pool. I had dutifully applied two thick layers of sunscreen, just in case I’d missed a spot the first time. My skin is so fair that I burn within 15 minutes of being in the sun, and we were planning on spending several hours outside, which always takes a tremendous amount of planning and preparation for my family. I really should buy stock in the sunscreen market! I had on my wide straw hat and sunglasses, and I was keenly aware of the amount of time I was spending in the sun verses the shade. I’m always envious of people who can just go outside and enjoy the day. I have no idea what that is like. I love the sun, but it does not love me!
So we were swimming at the pool right at the hottest part of the day. As I was playing with my daughter in the water, I noticed that I was hunching my shoulders, almost as if I was trying to shrink myself. What am I doing, I wondered? Why am I hunched over like this? I wasn’t feeling especially self-conscious or anything. I mean, I was basically wearing a mom swimsuit with a tankini top and swim shorts. It certainly wasn’t the most revealing swimsuit I’d ever worn. For goodness sake, I told myself, stand up straight! My daughter was watching! I didn’t want her to pick up any subliminal messages about body image and insecurities. So, I straightened up, squared my shoulders, and focused on her smiling, laughing face as she splashed in the pool.
But a few minutes later I found myself with the exact same posture, my shoulders hunched like I was trying to hide my body. And I kept glancing away from my daughter’s smiling face and looking from side to side at my shoulders. I was so annoyed with myself! I’m not an overly modest person, and yet here I was missing this fun filled moment with my child! What on earth was I doing?
Then it dawned on me. I wasn’t self-conscious or trying to hide from the stares of other people (who, for the record, were not even paying attention to me). I was trying to hide from the sun. I was nervously checking to see if my shoulders were covered under the shade from my hat. I was distracted during this beautiful moment with my daughter because my thoughts were consumed with avoiding the pain of a sunburn. I was missing the joy on her face because I kept looking away, nervous that my sunscreen wasn’t applied thick enough or that my swimsuit straps had shifted slightly and revealed a part of my back that would burn.
I looked around at all the people at the pool, laying out in the sunshine, splashing in the water and enjoying their day, and I realized that they were not hiding from the sun. They were basking in it! Clearly they did not have the same sensitivity to sunburns. And they were having so much fun! Good for them!
But, why did I feel the need to wear a swimsuit that exposed my shoulders and back to the rays of the sun, just because all the other women at the pool were wearing similar styles? I wasn’t having fun, and I certainly wasn’t hoping to tan. My skin has never tanned in my whole life. It quickly burns and turns a bright painful red, and eventually goes back to being extremely fair. There was absolutely no point in me trying to get some sun on my shoulders. Why couldn’t I cover my shoulders and back just like my kids did in their cute little swim shirts? There was no rule that said I had to look like all the other women at the pool!
So that night after I’d tucked the kiddos into bed, I googled swim shirt style swimsuits and discovered that the common term for them is a “rash guard,” which sounds like an unfortunate medical term you might read about on webMD. It’s not a flattering sounding name for a swimsuit with sleeves, and certainly not as fun and flirty sounding as “bikini.” But, such is life when trying to be practical about sun protection. So, I scrolled through pages and pages of rash guard swimsuits, looking for one that was both cute and a one piece style, because I didn’t want to have to worry about the shirt riding up and me getting a sunburn around my waist. Because my life is seriously that complicated, friends!
When I found the Seea Midori Swami’s Playsuit swimsuit on the SwimOutlet website, I was intrigued! It was long sleeved, one piece, and the colors and pattern were cute. The description talked about how it was perfect for activities like “yoga on the beach to surfing with friends.” Ummm, I’m not a surfer. And after three kiddos, my figure certainly is not that of an athlete. But, the swimsuit met all my criteria, and even though it probably cost more than all the other swimsuits I’d ever purchased in my life combined, I decided to try it!
“Mom, cross your foot like this!”
I wore it for the first time last week, and friends, I absolutely love this swimsuit! I had never truly realized until that day how much time I used to spend worrying about burning in the sun. I spent hours happily swimming, playing with my children, and being fully present in the moment. It was absolutely amazing! I never once glanced at my shoulders to see how pink they were getting. And I was able to easily apply multiple layers of sunscreen to my face, neck, hands, and legs, so I didn’t worry about missing any spots. I had no idea a different style of swimsuit could make a full day at the pool so much fun! It was comfortable even in the hot weather, and it stayed in place when I swam. I’m so glad I tried something new and different!
Doing something a certain way in life, just because everyone else is doing it that way, isn’t me. I can’t believe I waited this long to try a different style swimsuit! Don’t worry, I’m not on a crusade to ban revealing swimsuits or try to persuade people to cover up more at the pool. Most people don’t sunburn as easily as me, so they don’t need to cover up as much as I do. And that’s totally fine. I’m just excited to enjoy spending time outside swimming with my kids without being distracted by my extremely fair skin and the sun’s rays. Most importantly, I want my family, especially my daughter, to see me fully participating and enjoying my life!
Here’s to a fun and happy summer!
Sandy
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What a cute look, Sandy!
Thanks! I love it so much!