Liturgy For Pool Days

A slow newsletter on poolside parenting, giant water jugs, clean beauty’s return, and the kind of play that fits you best.

Author

Brooke Mousetis
June 27, 2025

Hey Hey!

This is your friendly reminder that I did in fact start a newsletter… and look at me go, sending one out! My plan is send it out every Wednesday morning from here on out, that way you know when to look for it and can make it part of your weekly rhythm to read it. 

So this one is kind of a “testing testing, can you hear me?” email. I just wanted to pop in, say hi, and make sure this whole thing is working. (You got my welcome note, right? We’re official now!)

I’ve been spending a lot of time at the pool this week with my girls. Like, almost every day. It’s been pushing 100° and so we’re either hiding inside or living our best lives at the local pool. 💦

And since I said this newsletter would be home to liturgies for the days that need them… I wrote one. For the pool.

Because sometimes parenting by the water is calm and peaceful — and other times it’s please-for-the-love-of-Jehovah-Jireh-wear-the-floaties!!!, soggy snacks, and trying to remember if anyone actually drank water today. 😂

So, if you’ve got a pool day coming up — or just need a reminder that God meets us in the chlorine and the chaos — here’s a little something for your heart:

💦 A Liturgy for Pool Days

For water that sparkles and splashes,

for sidewalks that sting our feet,

for the familiar scent of the season,

we give thanks.

For days that shimmer with heat,

where time stretches out like a towel on warm grass,

and the calendar finally breathes—

we bless You, God of summer.

When the sun catches the water’s surface

and the light begins to dance

along the bottom of the pool—

wiggling, shimmering, moving like joy—

may we notice.

Remind us that we are allowed to play, too.

We are allowed to get in.

To float.

To dunk.

To dive.

When we feel pulled in a hundred directions,

between snacks and goggles and cries of “watch me!”—

may we remember that You are not a distracted parent.

You are the steady gaze that never looks away.

We do not have to perform for Your attention.

We do not have to shout for You to see us.

You are already here—

delighting,

hovering,

present.

When our feet dangle over the edge into the cool,

May it remind us not to stay on the surface when we’re invited in.

Into wonder.

Into hope.

Into our calling.

Let us run and jump in—

fully present,

unafraid,

alive.

When we sink into the deep end,

remind us that You are also in the quiet descent, the still depths—

of motherhood,

of grief,

of grace.

And as the day stretches on—

sun-bleached and heavy with heat—

may we remember how fast the footprints fade.

How quickly wet toes dry.

How fast they grow.

How short the walk of childhood feels

against the long light of summer.

Let us carry the warmth of this day with us—

on our skin, in our bones,

in the quiet assurance

that You were with us,

Even here.

A few more things while I’m here:

Speaking of pool days, we are all obsessed with our new giant water bottle/jug that I got specifically for the pool. As much as I love my Stanley cup, my straw is glass (not allowed in the pool) and it falls over constantly when set on the grass or our towels. Which again, not great for kids sharing water all summer long! 💧Be Coolflask in Lavender is what we got!

Counter is OPEN! You probably know it as Beautycounter, but they’ve rebranded to just COUNTER, and yesterday was the first day you can shop again. If you’re into clean, high-performing beauty that’s actually easy to use — I’d love for you to check it out. 👉 Click here to shop via my link

Our newest podcast episode is one of my favorites in a long time. We dove into the idea of “play archetypes” — all eight of them! It’s incredibly helpful language, and really gives you a framework to think about play in a new way. If you were all about the Enneagram back in the day and how helpful it was to understanding your own life and others, you’re gonna love this!! Seriously, if you’ve ever felt like play is hard (like me), or maybe it comes easy, this one’s for you. We are actually going to do a Members Only Mini Series on all eight types to build out more helpful content, practical ideas and language behind each one! That’s coming soon — in the mean time, you can listen here — 🎧 Listen on Apple 🎧 Listen on Spotify

That’s all I’ve got in me today. Grateful you’re here. 🙂

Still here — in the middle of the middle,

Brooke

P.S. You can reply to this email if you’d like! Would love to hear from you. :)

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