7 Lessons in 7 (Glorious) Days

LESSON #6: Don't be afraid to try something new.

Mom wrung her hands while the instructor told us what to expect. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered to me.

"I don't know, but Dad said it was a blast."

"Then why isn't he doing this?"

"You know why." The instructor began fitting a life vest over me as I explained. "He wants to use that new zoom lens he got and practice some action shots with it."

A speedboat zoomed by, and tethered to it—way, way up in the sky—was a couple of girls strapped to a parachute.

We fixed our eyes on them as they passed. It was too far to see their facial expressions, so I wasn't not sure if the screams were of glee or terror.

"So, parasailing is completely safe?" Mom asked the man with the clipboard for the tenth time.

"Yes, yes, completely safe," he muttered before barking something in Spanish into his walkie-talkie.

He didn't exactly inspire confidence.

I stared up at the airborne girls again. They were so high up in the air. My feet tingled just looking at them.

"Has anyone ever... dropped from up there?" Mom asked the man, not taking her eyes off the parachute.

He looked up from his clipboard, his harried brow furrowed. "Que?"

"I doubt they would tell you if anyone did," I whispered.

"Never mind," she said and went back to wringing her hands.

Her agitation was making me feel even more nervous.

"Okay, it's time to go!" said a stocky yet enthusiastic Mexican in a life vest, waving us toward the jetski that would transport us to the boat.

Mom gulped. "We can still change our minds. What do you think?"

"Um..." I looked at her apprehensive face, at the smiling jetski driver, at the crashing waves that pushed against the jetski, and finally at the billowing yellow parachute in the distance. My breath quickened. "I think..."

"Mis amores," the enthusiastic man said as he lifted Mom's hand, and mine as well. "My name is Juan, and I will take care of you. You are safe with me. We will have lots of fun, yes?"

His brown eyes looked so sincere and full of excitement that I believed him. "Yes."

"Bueno! Then let's hop on. Hold on to me tight! Pretend like I am your boyfriend." He winked at both of us and situated himself at the front of the craft.

Before we knew it, we were jetting right into the waves. At times the jetski flew straight up into the air. Mom squealed and I couldn't stop laughing at the sheer exhilaration of it.

Once we reached the boat, we were outfitted with harnesses and hooked up to the parachute. I was breathless and excited from the wild ride to the boat, no longer scared about being launched several stories into the air by nothing but wind.

The boat began moving. As we picked up speed, they had us sit at the back of the boat, ready for takeoff.

And then they released the ropes.

The parachute instantly yanked us off the boat and pulled us up, causing my Mom to squeal again.

"Mom, open your eyes!"

Our feet dangled in the air and we were steadily rising into the sky like balloons.

"Oh my goodness," Mom exclaimed as she gawked all around her. "Look at the view!"

We could see for miles. The hotel strip that Cancun was known for stretched in both directions, white sands gleaming. I saw blue hotel pools in various shapes. The people on the beaches looked like ants. The water below writhed in fascinating shades of blue and turquoise, so clear that the varying depths made the water change color.It was amazing.

Mom's eyes were huge. So was her smile. "I'm so glad we did this!"

"Me too!"

It wasn't as windy as I thought it would be. It was so quiet, way up in the sky. The breeze felt good, and the ride was so smooth it almost felt like we weren't moving.

When they finally reeled us back in, they asked us how we liked it.

"We loved it!" Mom couldn't stop smiling. "I'm going to remember this forever."

Joy glowed in her eyes.

I think I will too.

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