AARP Hearing Center
Key Takeaways
- A group “mermaid sisters” were able to reunite in Florida thanks to Wish of a Lifetime from AARP.
- The story of the mermaid sisters highlights the importance of cherishing memories and the relationships that enrich our lives.
- All the sisters overcame physical and mental barriers just to be able to perform with each other again.
Summary
The Mermaid sisters, a group of women who performed together as underwater performers at Florida's Weeki Wachee Springs, have reunited decades later, showcasing the enduring bond they formed. Thanks to Wish of a Lifetime from AARP, these women were able to relive their mermaid days, recapturing the magic of their youth.
Their reunion highlights the importance of rekindling old friendships and shared experiences. The Mermaid Sisters' story emphasizes the value of holding onto memories and the connections that make life richer.
The Mermaid Sisters' reunion is a heartwarming testament to the power of shared experiences and the joy of reconnection, demonstrating that with the right opportunities, lifelong bonds can continue to flourish.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Transcript
[0:00:09] Once you're in that water, it's just magic.
[0:00:15] You're just free to be whatever you want to be under the water.
[0:00:19] I feel like I'm home. It's where I grew up, and it just feels good.
[0:00:25] It also removes 57 years, and I'm 17 all over again.
[0:00:32] Being with these gals, I don't know how to put words to it.
[0:00:47] My mother was at Weeki Wachee.
[0:00:50] She came home and said, I have just a job for you.
[0:00:53] I want you to be a mermaid.
[0:00:55] And I thought, okay, I can do that.
[0:00:58] I was 10 years old, and I just said, yeah, I'm gonna do that when I get out of high school.
[0:01:05] I wanted to become a mermaid, and they told me to come back when I was 18,
[0:01:10] and I came on my birthday, and I was hired.
[0:01:13] I did enjoy every minute that I swam. I loved it, and you got paid for something you
[0:01:18] love. Should have been against the law.
[0:01:24] It was so fun. It was a hoot.
[0:01:26] We kind of teased each other a little bit by slipping an air hose underneath a suit when
[0:01:31] they'd be floating up because they couldn't get the air out of their suit.
[0:01:36] I just know that working with all these incredible ladies,
[0:01:40] that's where I grew up.
[0:01:42] I just learned a lot about life, about giving, about sharing,
[0:01:47] and about just being your own person.
[0:01:50] There are only a few Weeki Wachee mermaids, and it's a special gift of companionship.
[0:01:57] We may call each other once a year or twice a year, but there is a bond there,
[0:02:02] so when we do talk to each other,
[0:02:05] there's no time separation.
[0:02:24] Okay, Arlene called. She says, we got the opportunity to go swim in the
[0:02:31] spring. I said, oh my god, are you for real?
[0:02:36] My main worry was I'm not gonna get down deep enough to perform, but it seems like it's
[0:02:42] working out. It's magic.
[0:02:46] You know, we don't have the breath control that we had, and we don't have the bodies that
[0:02:52] we had, but you know what? It's like, I don't care.
[0:02:55] I'm having a fabulous time.
[0:02:58] Seeing the bond that these women have and their connection to the spring,
[0:03:01] it makes me so happy for them, and I hope to have that with my sisters.
[0:03:06] And once a mermaid, always a mermaid. It really is true.
[0:03:10] I don't know how to say anything other than I love these girls.
[0:03:13] When I turned 75, I thought, well, I'm in the winter of my life.
[0:03:18] I need to enjoy every last second of it to be able to swim in the spring again,
[0:03:24] but to do it with these gals, that was, that was super special.
[0:03:27] There's gonna be a day when I won't be able to travel.
[0:03:31] Life can change in a blink, a heartbeat, but I'll have this memory now.
[0:03:38] We wanted to come back and it was.
[0:03:41] A dream and then it turned into a wish and we have our wish.
[0:03:46] Thank you, AARP and Wish of a Lifetime.
[0:03:50] This group of women is like no other in the world.
[0:03:53] It's like that piece that was missing. It's back where it belongs.
[0:03:58] If I were a Weeki Wachee Mermaid, everyone would be in love with me.
