Soft

A good friend of mine at the club has become "soft".

I say this lightly. I do owe another entire tribute to my women friends at the club where I work out. Where else do you know an entire group of people - but the only way to recognize them is naked?

The locker room - well, you stand there naked talking to other women. Over-weight. Under weight. Eating disorders. Career women. Stay at home moms. Retired women. "Trophy" wives. Women that never worked, as they married men whom didn't think they should. Everything in between.

The women whom swim laps every day. Or go to the morning class. Those whom rush off. Those whom linger. Those whom are training. Those whom the only place they have to go is the club. You can see their loneliness pouring from their skin.

We've been through births. Deaths. Heart aches. Success.

All while standing their naked.

This year the club put out "bath wraps" - which I have always loved, but well, these make you hot. They must not be 100% cotton. Must be polyester.

Can I borrow your brush? Do you have a tampon? An extra razor? What is going on with your hormones? Does this get better? Does this get worse? What books have you read? You taking a trip?I'm running late for a meeting, whom has an extra bra in their bag?

One of the women from the locker room - her husband died in bike wreck last year. He was in his early 60's. Her father was a gold medal winner in the Olympics in Germany. He met Hitler. I love all her stories. We've all been there to help her back to her new "normal".

One woman, she and her husband classified themselves as alcoholics. Now they run marathons and Ironman's.  They have twin girls in 3rd grade. My youngest son is their hero - running his first half marathon at 12. They love that story.

Another locker room friend. She's always been "hard". Determined. And seriously, the best body ever. I don't know anyone out there whom wouldn't be jealous of her body.  Not bony skinny - just in shape.

5 years ago - she gave birth to a baby girl. Two years later another one.  19 years ago - she gave up one.

She never has let herself feel.

I tell her all the time "You got "Soft" on me."  She's such a great mom. She bitches. She moans. She grumbles. She works out everyday. She's honest.

She looks better than most of us could ever dream. She's over 40.

She now knows the daughter she gave up at 19. She works in a PICU unit of a hospital as a nurse. She's hardcore when she needs to be.

But, I've known her for years. She's a bit softer than she use to be.