We visited the Wisconsin Dell’s Waterpark this summer and frankly, I was good with dropping the kids off and going antique shopping. But no, they were begging me to go. Please, mom, go on the rides with us.

In my head, I found myself kickin’ and screamin’-  tired of doing things out of my comfort zone. I had the case of the Don’t Want To’s. 

I’m already driving a 36 ft motorhome cross country with 4 kids, in an RV that I learned to drive from a YouTube video. Everyone says: You should do Facebook live.  But what if I stutter in the middle of a message or I have a booger? No more change for me. I’m done.

But then I caved and bought a ticket to the water park; upon arrival, I realized there was no Lazy Log ride. Wha? They took me straight to death con 5. You step into this elongated phone booth tube, and they lock you in; you’re sure you made a terrible mistake, as you stand on a trap door that could release at any time.

With your fate in the hands of a 17-year-old ready to press the button of death, you ask: How did I get here? Do my kids really love me? I began to question my sanity.

All the while the sounds of a heartbeat on a loud speaker, beat harder and louder. I couldn’t tell which was mine or it! Y’all, my anxiety was off the charts. I was praying to Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.

And then the countdown:

Three . . . Oh dear God, I’m sorry for everything!

Two . . . My life flashed before my eyes!

One . . . And nothing. Whew! Hey, when’s this thing gonn-A . . . Boom!

They OPENED the trap door and I flew 90 mph down a rabbit hole, in total darkness.

There was no air, just water whippin’ my face too hard to open my eyes. I couldn’t breathe for 13 seconds. I thought this was my last day. Who would do the laundry? Had I given loved ones my Facebook password?

But afterward, the look on my kid’s faces was priceless. I earned immediate hero status. I was cooler than cool for that moment in time.

Facing change and walking outside our comfort zone is hard. But taking those risks and making it to the other side, where few have gone, is worth the letting go.

Mark Twain once said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.”

Go for it. You won’t die. You’ll be the once constricted caterpillar that turned into a beautiful butterfly. It’s Transforming. So jump into that ‘elongated tube of life’ and let’r rip!

Here’s to Living the Best Version of You!