The prompt
Write about your (or your character's) favorite summer of all time.
Source: The Writer
My response
The best spot at the lake
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My oldest siblings and I learned to swim at the lake. Our parents and the five of us kids could be found there every Sunday once the school year ended. Quite often, my cousins and their parents would join us, too.
My parents knew the best spot. It was away from the designated swimming area at an old boat dock that wasn't used anymore. It had a picnic table and a large tree next to it that kept us cool whenever we decided to take a break from swimming.
The lake was a place without rules for proper attire, so we skipped the bathing suits. Our T-shirts and shorts worked just fine, and we'd kick off our shoes and walk in, stepping lightly to avoid sharp rocks.
No matter how hot the weather was, the water was always cool enough to be jarring when we first went in. But we had a system. We'd walk in, straight out to waist deep and then duck under the surface. After that, we'd say, you're used to it.
Mom mostly stayed on the shore, reading, keeping an eye on my younger sister, or cooking burgers. When my cousins came along, my mom and my aunt would chit-chat the afternoon away.
The rest of us — my dad and us four older kids — would splash and play in the water until we were called to the shore for a lunch sandwiches, store brand chips and sun tea. We'd then wait the requisite half hour after eating, then return to the water until the sun started getting rather low.
The next summer was different as more people started going to the lake. It made getting our prime spot — that old boat dock with the picnic table under the shady tree — difficult if not impossible, and eventually, as my sibling and I got older, we quit going altogether.
I still love the lake, but I love the memory more.
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