Hot Water

One of my favorite delights is being enveloped in hot water. I have always loved taking a bath. I know some people hate baths or think that they are gross, but I am not that person. In fact, during the pandemic when I had all the time in the world, one of my daily routines became reading a book in a hot bath.

"I'm off for my daily bath!" I would call to my family, and they knew that they wouldn't see me for at least an hour.  

When I'm feeling down, Pete will often ask me, "Have you tried taking a bath?" I just find it soothing to sit in hot water and I don't care if it is drying out my skin.

It doesn't even have to be a bath. Hot tub? Yes, and don't tell me that I should get out after fifteen minutes because I will sit in there as long as I can possibly stand it. Float therapy in warm salt water? I love it. Spa service involving hot water? Sign me up. Twice I have booked massage services simply because they involved sitting in a hot bath beforehand. In other words, I actually paid to take a bath. Another time I selected a vichy shower because it involved getting sprayed alternately with hot and cold water. Kind of odd, but not un-delightful.

On the flip side, a few summers ago I realized that my love of hot water was becoming problematic. I love going to the pool, but I was never actually getting into the pool for fear that the water would be too cold. It was 90 degrees outside and I still wanted the water to be of equal or greater temperature! 

To remedy this I signed up for an 8 AM outdoor water aerobics class, which--it turns out--is another delight in and of itself that I will have to write more about this summer because now I will never not take water aerobics in the summer if I can help it!

The water aerobics class helped me to remember that cool water is also refreshing and delightful in its own right, but sinking into some hot, hot water will always be one of my favorite delights.