Can't We Just Hire a Pool Boy?

Something I’ve learned this week: building a relationship is like having a pool. Maintenance is a pain in the ass (IS it!, Is it ever!). The cleaning, the scooping, the testing to make sure the chemicals are balanced – it’s a lot of work – every day. Constantly. (sigh). But we do all that hard work, not only to protect our investment but also so we can relax, chill out, and enjoy the fun – a fresh, clean, invigorating or relaxing swim. In relationships, sometimes we have to walk away and clear our minds (the cleaning and clearing debris), we talk things out and sometimes disagree (the scooping), and agree to disagree, compromise and figure out a solution (balancing the chemicals) so that we can relax and enjoy the fun of being together.

Sometimes being with T is a lot of work, a lot of times it’s so much fun (omg I laugh so hard I cry), and lots of times it’s just comfortable and reassuring. When times are hard, and seem impossible to get through, I think, can’t we just “hire a pool boy” to do all this hard work? But afterwards, I realize that we have to get through it in order to grow. Going through the tough times reminds me that I can’t take any of the fun parts of our relationship for granted. Even though having a pool boy would be convenient (and fun for ONE of us!), we’ll keep cleaning, scooping, and balancing – because there’s nothing more rewarding than a cool dip in a clear, well-balanced relationship, uhhh I mean pool.