The Canoe

I watched as my friends and family stepped into the canoes that were lined up side by side in the water. My mouth became dry and my head felt light as my turn to climb in came. I had never been in a boat before and I had a serious fear of large bodies of water. My entire family knew how to swim but I was always too afraid to learn. My father had tried to teach me on several occasions years ago, but I just screamed and cried until he brought me back to shore. As my sister Angie grabbed my hand, I shakily climbed in, shut my eyes and sat as stiff as a board. My first instinct was to hold on to my sister for support and climb out of the canoe, but instead, I sat very still.

As the the canoe started down the small river, I began to relax a bit. The water was a little rocky but nothing to be alarmed about. I had on my life jacket so I felt somewhat safe. We told stories, sang songs and just enjoyed the day. I could see that everyone was happy that I came and so was I. My fear was slowly but surely subsiding and I was proud. If I continued trying to conquer this fear, maybe I'd be ready for a cruise next year.