Just Go Forward

                                                    Ana, 7^th grade

          2001, I just turned 4! Since I just turned 4, my mom thought it was time for me to jump of the high dive. The high dive is the really tall diving board at the Transylvania swimming pool. The more I thought about jumping off that insanely tall board, the more scared I get. My mom asked me if I was scared….. Of course I said “no! I’m not scared.” But I was truly scared on the inside.

          The next day I was thinking it wouldn’t be that bad, but it was. And now, it’s gotten worse. My dad is coming, plus my whole family. I thought about getting so scared that I couldn’t do it, but instead, I felt this knot in my stomach and like I was going to puck. It was horrible.

          The day came. I didn’t know it at first, but today was the day I had to jump! ME!! I can’t jump and live on that thing. I was thinking of all the things I could say or do to get me out of it. Until my mom came up with my bathing suit and said “come on sweetie we have to go!” next thing I knew, I was in the car, feeling as sick as ever. No backing out now. When we got there my mom walked me up the ladder and said “go on, you can do it”. I started to cry. My mom gave me a comforting saying that kept racing through my mind, “just go forward.” So I did. She was right.