Lake Tahoe: On Fear and Trust

On our trip to Lake Tahoe this past summer, we happened upon this gorgeous dock at the beach and I had the most unlikely desire to jump off of it. Unlikely because, as I may have mentioned before, I don't like heights (to put it mildly). Yet somehow, as I walked out onto the warm wooden slats of the dock, and looked at the crystal clear teal waters of the lake, I just wanted to leap with all my might. I mentioned this to my (fearless) husband, and he was (not surprisingly) eager to join me. Then I was shocked to hear my littlest guy and his sisters exclaim that they wanted to jump in too! These brave little munchkins looked up at us trustingly and were so excited to jump that I knew I couldn't chicken out.



We all stood at the edge of the wooden dock (which felt VERY) much higher than it appears in the photo, held hands, and took the leap together.

Seconds later, our breath was nearly taken away by the frigid water, and we all laughed and gasped for air, and swam together to the ladder and helped each other climb back up to the comfort of the warm dock.

Once on the top, we all laughed together again, and congratulated the little ones, and we all were bonded by this act of fun and bravery and beauty. I was so amazed that my little "babies" were so brave and that I had come so far that I would actually voluntarily jump off such a tall dock! I was still basking in euphoria, or perhaps still in shock from the freezing water, when my sweet girl asked if we could jump again. I love that girl!

I really love my little family. This was a day that might seem insignificant to others, but is one that I will never forget. We bonded together and shared a special moment that I know we will all remember forever.