I’ve come to realize that I hold a lot of fear in my heart. Specifically I fear crowds, heights and enclosed spaces. I’m sure there are more, but these are the big ones. And these three things can sometimes happen to a person all at once, such as at a place like Makutu’s Island.If you haven’t been, (and you’re braver than I), you really must take your kids. They will absolutely love it and they will sleep like babies when they are done. It’s a jungle room the size of Home Depot in which your children can run, jump, play and slide.
But back to the point. There are areas in Makutu’s where you can find yourself 20 feet in the air, inside a cramped tunnel, with children surrounding and climbing over you. This problem is not exclusive to Makutu’s Island, I’m merely using them as an example. But that just happens to be the last place I remember leaving my stomach.
Suspended 20 feet in the air with a full view of the ground below, feeling the creek of the chains above me and breathing the stale air of the plastic tunnel system… I temporarily lost my mind. The children around me who had been decent and lovely until then suddenly appeared frightening and angry. They wanted me to get out of their way, and I genuinely wanted to oblige them. But I couldn’t. I could not make my legs move any further. I crouched there and began to sob like a child. I wanted to move so badly, but to me it felt like there was no where to go. My body wanted OUT, but my mind was too embarassed to call for help.
And then I saw her. My Emma. She was 10 feet in front of me and had come back to check where I’d disappeared to. This same three year old girl who has been attached to my hip like an albatross for the past 6 months, was suddenly my greatest hero in my time of need. Emma led me out of my plastic captor with a chipmunk grin, and I gave her the biggest hug of her short life.
She had no idea what she did for me at the time, but I’ll try to remember her kindness the next time I’m exhausted of her constant attachment to my leg. It’s only a phase, I know. But just when I couldn’t wait for her to get over it, I realized my leg is going to miss her when she’s gone.
