It's that time of the year again...

Originally posted at the former Chicago Moms Blog on April 2, 2010

It's that time of the year again...

Men have no clue. They really, truly don't. I mean, when the season arrives for them, they simply pick "long or short" and move on with their day. Dealing with this wardrobe need doesn't create a rising panic within their chests. Men have no cause to stress about the details! They honestly haven't ANY IDEA of the level of anxiety that Swim Suit Season can bring about. Only a fellow woman can understand the grief I underwent during my 2 hours of child-free shopping in which I was DETERMINED to find a suit for the 2010 summer..

My family is a water-loving group. We have access to our neighborhood pool every day of the summer in addition to the pool that my parents installed at their house last year. Basically, I needed a suit that was strong enough to withstand a whole lot of chlorine and sun. I also needed a suit that wouldn't cause anyone to pass out from overexposure to cellulite. It was not a task or responsibility I took lightly...

Is there any greater cause of body image stress than a 3-way mirror in a dressing room? Especially when that image reflected back at you is of some 34-year-old stranger and not the 20 year old hottie that you keep thinking you still are? For me, this was the year of accepting my age in the swimsuit department. Because I have crossed the line, my friends. I have crossed over into the realm of Swim Suit Skirts. And there is no turning back, now...

Each suit I tried on was almost good enough. There was always a little something that made me shudder a bit and switch to the next one. But when I casually tried on a skirt and realized that no one could see my worst assets*?!? Miraculously, the suit looked great!

I know that no one is fooled by the skirt. I know that they know that my bootie isn't quite so "licious" anymore. But because of the skirt, this pool season may just be the first season that I don't do the mad dash for the towel as I leap from the pool, holding a small child in front of my thighs for camouflage. This season MAY JUST include ME being moderately HAPPY about the way I look in a swimsuit.

Will wonders never cease?

* Heh. Pun fully intended...