A Pool of Their Own

2 A Pool of Their Own My cousins were raised in a well-off family. We loved to go to their house because it was so big and fancy. Best of all, it had a beautiful swimming pool. It was shaped like a big “ L” and had a diving board. One thing that always impressed me about my cousins was that they didn't think they were better than anyone else, even though they were rich. The reason was that my Uncle John and Aunt Kate made sure they were not spoiled with gifts. The pool was a perfect example of this. One day in the summer, my cousins were bored and hot, so they said to my Uncle John, “ Dad, we're the only kids in this neighbourhood that don't have a pool. Can we have one?" " Of course you can! " agreed their father. “ A pool it is! It will be started tomorrow. " The kids were amazed to see how agreeable their dad was.

Early the next day, my uncle woke up everyone and brought them downstairs. “ Come on outside. I have a surprise for you! " he said. " Close your eyes. " They did, and he led them to the backyard. " Now hold out your hands, " he said. When they opened their eyes, each of them had been presented with a new shovel. A look of shock came over their faces. Then, their dad said with a smile, " You can have a pool, but you're going to have to dig it! " At first, the digging went slowly. They were exhausted every day. But as the weck passed, they began to see their work take shape. Within ten days, they had the pool completely dug out. Then, the construction workers came and poured the cement. In another week, they had a finished pool. And best of all, they had helped make it. They were so proud! Years later, my cousin said to me, “ I never asked my dad if I could borrow the car because I was afraid I'd have to build it myself! " They had many blessings in their lives, but the biggest by far was having very smart parents.