6:00am your day begins

while all of your peers are tucked in their beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads

You am jumping into icy cold water

swimming many miles

then trudging out into the snow to return home,

take a nap,

and eat, everything in sight.

When you get to the pool that morning the water is still

as if the air from outside snuck in and froze the top layer into a thin sheet

if only.

goosebumps cover your skin as you meet the water

in a few minutes the sting would be gone

only to be replaced by the soreness of muscles

and warmth of pumping blood.

You do this each day

so you can get better

Because

come January

the Christmas gift you worked so hard for

will finally be delivered.