Risk Averse

For those of you that know me, you know that I am not a risk-taker. Earlier this month, during my first family vacation to Hawaii, I decided to go skydiving with a friend. Well, let me rephrase that, my wife told me I could go skydiving after I asked for her permission to join my friend.

After all, who jumps out of a plane at 15,000 feet, strapped to a stranger, while diving to the ground, losing their voice, and almost passing out. In the words of my two-year-old daughter, “I did it!”

I did it. As I sat on the edge of the door opening over a beautiful and yet scary Hawaii backdrop, my skydiving partner simply thrust us out of the plane with ease. At the very last second, I was terrified. My heart began to beat faster than it ever has. My breaths became short and shallow and not enough for me at that last second.