“Okay, promise you won’t freak out” ~ the first words out of my daughters mouth as I answered the phone. (A sentence that simultaneously peaks your interest and sinks your heart into the pit of your stomach.)
“I scaled a building”, she continues in a rather elated tone. (She’s been working out of state as a personal assistant for a summer job.)
“You… did what?”
“I was alone at my bosses apartment, they’re on vacation for a few days, and I heard a noise on the roof, and went up there to check it out. The door was really heavy and it closed on its own behind me. I was locked out and didn’t have my cell phone, so… I had to walk the ledge of the building to get back into another door.”
“Oh my God… what?”, I asked – heart pounding in my chest. ”They live in a penthouse don’t they?”
“Yes. On the 13th floor! I couldn’t wait for help because they were on vacation for a few more days and I didn’t have my phone, and I was so high up, who would hear me? I was proud of myself for conquering my fears!”
As a mom I thought surely she had lost her mind. I mean what ON EARTH was she thinking? I handed my husband the phone as I told my daughter, “explain to dad what you just did!” My eyes grew large as I watched him listening to her, then smile and say, “Well that’s great that you saw what you needed to do and you did it!” I waved my hands in the background while mouthing the words but never do anything like that again!
When it comes down to it, he was absolutely right – even though I would rather the situation had not been so literal! Each of us arrives at a proverbial ledge at times in our life. We are faced with the choice of risk and reward over playing it safe and waiting for a different opportunity to present itself. We weigh our options, sometimes way too long, but eventually there comes a point where we must put aside our fears, take a few deep breaths, and step out onto that ledge. With courage and confidence, prayer and positive thinking, we take a chance on ourselves.
As with any decision you make in life, that first step is always the most intense. With each additional step your confidence grows.
I’ll end this with a mom disclaimer: DO NOT attempt to do this at home. The only people who should ever do this would be window cleaners and a member of the flying Wallenda family. Neither of which my daughter is involved in.
*Personal note: I had a hard time titling this one! Either “Facing Our Fears” or “The Thought of Three Days Without a Smartphone”.
