The day had finally come. It had been a long wait, but finally the moment had arrived. And it was beautiful!

The moment, of course, was my first swim in Walden Pond this season. Not the first of the year, mind you. That had occurred on January 3. But it was the first of the new season, and it could not have come soon enough.

I had been tempted a few other times, but had always come up with excuses not to – too cold, too cloudy, too windy, didn’t feel so good. This time there were no excuses. The day was Sunday, April 17, and on that day in eastern Massachusetts there was a bright sun, a soft breeze, and a temperature in the mid-60s.

No excuses. I’m going in. And I did, but truth be told I didn’t last too long, perhaps about 40 seconds. The temperature was in the 46-48 degree range, certainly cold but not as cold as it had been in January, the last time I had plunged in. The water temperature that day was about 42 degrees and it felt like every bit of that. As on Sunday I lasted about 40 seconds, but felt great afterward.

Over the course of last winter and on into spring I’ve talked to a number of the year-round or nearly year-round swimmers at Walden and met even more. They are all, in my mind, amazing people, sturdy in some ways, vulnerable in others. They share a love for the pond and a love for the water that connects them to each other, but they all have their own, very personal reasons for swimming there.

For one, it helps to temper his mood swings, for another it’s become a nurturing place, helping her to overcome the loss of a loved one. There’s a spirituality about the pond and it seems that for many the cold water brings that spirituality more into focus. I know it does for me.

On Monday, April 18, the day was even better – sunny and in the 70s. I stayed in a little longer, made some new friends, and felt the cool tingle in my fingers once again. It was beautiful!