Doing hard things - part four, what am I afraid of?

I'm trying to process the best vacation of my life. I'm searching for what the Lord is teaching and showing me after five precious days  in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

As previously mentioned, I'm co-leading a book club this summer for middle and high school girls. The book Doing Hard Things is intended for teenagers but it is speaking to this middle age mama's heart. While languishing at the beach, in Playa del Carmen, under a cabana, with a fruity, non-alcoholic drink within hand's reach, a gentle breeze wooed me to contemplation. What am I afraid of?

Here is a partial list:

Heights - looking down from an unsecured area is terrifying
Planes - I often warn fellow passengers that I am not a great fan of turbulence and can grab their hand at any point.
Water - (I'm working on this one)

The view from my beach chair...

Rollercoasters - there's no point to being scared and nauseous unless during childbirth
Hypodermic needles/IVs - refer to above


and a host of other ones I choose not to mention.


Throw in a nervous bladder and a poor sense of direction. The Hubs is such a lucky guy, huh?


Since facing my fear of water/swimming, I realized I am also afraid of:


Failure - what if I don't succeed? I have taken swimming lessons before but after completing them, I wimped out when I couldn't synchronize my body correctly. Convinced that I looked just too stupid plus my knee hurt very badly, I gave up, defeated and land-locked.


It's scary to ponder, if I'm still at this same point of mastery next year, what does that say about me?


But then, strangely, paradoxically, I am frightened of:


Success - I do not know this new Cindy very well and where is this girl going to take me? Possibly people might expect me to join in aquatic merriment. When doctors suggest swimming as a healthy form of exercise, I might have to heed their advice. I would no longer garner pity for being stranded on the shore. Pity, in a bizarre sort of way, has been part and parcel with summer. If I'm really a swimmer, then people might realize that my swimming strokes are awkward, clearly a sign of a novice.

Summer, I gotta be honest, I find you intriguing and complex. 

And then there's the biggie -
I might enjoy swimming and then what do I do? I'm getting farther and farther from clinging to the secure side. What is on the other side? What is in the middle? Weird. 

I received this card in the mail from an encouraging mama
whose daughter is in the book club. This frog and I understand each other. 

Next post I want to share a swimming story that happened just before vay-kay. It's becoming an interesting metaphor on my quest. Thanks again for your support. I hear your collective, sweet voices on land and sea, I'm serious.