Got Fear?

Most of us fear something.

Remember when I was talking about Sarah in my last post? I think if Sarah had to name her fear, it would have been the fear of never having a child.

For me it's heights. Not all heights. Just heights that make me feel like I could fall. I look down and feel dizzy. I haven't always felt like this. This first time I noticed it was when I was about 20, and I saw a small child at the top of the biggest slide I've ever seen. Mom was nowhere around and I was sure this child was going to fall at any minute. He couldn't make it over the top to come down the slide, and he couldn't back down. He was stuck. I sprint to the slide and climbed to the top.

Then I had to figure out how to get over the top with the child and safely down the slide. It was tricky, but I managed. Then I looked down. Whoa. And that's when I knew I had a problem with heights.

And you know what? Instead of pretending I don't feel that way, I give myself permission to feel that way. It doesn't prevent me from going about my daily life and doing the things I want to do.

It's okay to have fear, but not if it keeps you from doing what you need to. Like if you're afraid of dogs and you have to walk by a big, ugly barking dog on the way to school everyday, that might make you want to stay home. Or if you fear tests, that might make you do poorly at school. Then it's time to talk with someone about it.

Why I am bringing this up? Because last week I offered my children the chance to parasail. One of them had done it before, so she knew she liked it. The others weren't sure. They'd never been that high, so they didn't know how they'd feel about it.

Two were too young, one didn't really want to try it (not heights, just not interested) and three decided to do it. Jasmine is only ten, so I had all three go together.

Jasmine  panicked as they started to go up, so the other two decided that the three of them would sing all the songs from Tangled. Jasmine loves to sing and she watches Tangled at least three times a week, so singing those songs was a good plan to take her mind off of her fear.

Me? I stayed on the ground of course!