Serendipity & Synergy

In the fall of 2001, our local YMCA opened a new indoor pool. As might be expected, there were accommodations made for lap swimmers, for free swim time, and for exercise classes. One class in particular took off in an unexpected direction.

An "interval class" was one of those started. It's a deep-water class, held Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 7:30 a.m. Gail started out as the teacher, and still puts up with us. The class was set up to be one that worked in intervals of slow movement alternating with fast movements to increase the heart rate. These benefits came as a given. But something serendipitous happened. The exercisers became friends.

Some of the participants (mostly women, with a few men) knew each other from outside, but most were stangers to one another. Over about the first year, a few of us started going for coffee after class. The number grew as we became more comfortable with each other. And this closeness continues to grow. We started meeting one another totally outside the exercise class. But it's never been exclusive. We are very welcoming of any newcomers (and probably scare a few folks away). Names are always exchanged to newcomers to the class and an invitation to join us at coffee is always extended. Some spouses who don't participate in the class also join in for coffee and other get-togethers.

We started having a Christmas/Passover holiday breakfast after class sometime during the holidays. And then we started having occasional birthday breakfasts at a local restaurant. Sometimes we get together for a lunch or something that doesn't even involve eating. (John always says that no calorie burned during class shall go unreplaced.)

We have celebrated births and mourned deaths. We have welcomed new grandchildren and great-grandchildren and new husbands. We have supported each other through cancer (ourselves and our loved ones), through joint replacements, through cataract surgery, through illnesses - sometimes with casseroles and always with love.

I guess synergy would be another descriptive word - something that becomes greater than the sum of its parts. A simple desire to get some exercise turned into a tightly woven social network. No, that's not right. We've become an extended family.

What a joy!