By Megan Paletz
Whish, splash, roar… the ocean beneath me screamed. I wrapped my fingers around the silver metal and dragged my feet over the guard rail. Observing the rapid water, fear replaced memories I typically associated with the ocean. I fixated on the rough blue water below, staring at the dark abyss. The concrete under my heels burned my skin, and the bright sun above my head pierced my bare neck. With each wave crashing, my heart pounded, following the same rhythm: thump, crash, thump, crash.
I considered going back to the safe side of the guardrail. Then, looking for comfort, I glanced at my sister’s feet. I watched her toes dangle from the bridge for only a second and then spring into the air; a blur of brown curly hair trailing behind. BOOM. A volcano erupted as her heels broke the ocean’s surface. Water flew up, swallowed her, and then spat her back out. She swam away, only leaving the mark of a white ring of bubbles.Â
My sister’s bravery inspired me, but I could not shake my growing fear. Frantically, looking both ways on the concrete edge, I realized my trembling feet were the only ones left on the bridge. It was my turn to jump. I felt sweat trickle from the top of my neck into my bathing suit top. I felt the pressure of my sister’s eyes looking at me from the water. “It’s game time, Meg!” my sister screamed. Her voice brought me no solace, but her words stood true; it was “game time.” I closed my eyes. Only two options hung in front of me: I could climb back over the cold metal railing and ride back home in shame, having failed to be brave. Or I could just jump. “Just jump,” I repeated in my mind. With a “just” in front of it, everything seemed straightforward.
I took a deep breath. Unwrapping one finger at a time, I released my tight grip on the railing and counted down in my head: three…you can do this, two…don’t be afraid, one… Megan, JUST JUMP! I bent my knees and plummeted toward the water. I shut my eyes so tightly I could feel my forehead wrinkling. I was flying. My toes hit first, then my legs, and suddenly, my entire body emerged in the blue-flowing waves. Engulfed into a deep hug underneath the surface. Like a jellyfish, my body expanded and propelled me upward. I felt weightless. I jumped, and I survived. Success. Leaving behind a white ring of bubbles just like my sister’s, I swam over to her.Â
Just like how watching my sister fly into the waves inspired me to take that jump myself, she always is the person who motivates me to face my fears. Her fearlessness pushes me to embrace my own courage. She has shown me that every leap is an opportunity for growth, and now, I’m ready to soar, following her lead and carving my path. She has taught me perseverance, and now I am strong.Â
My sister has always been a sunflower in a field of dandelions. While most people wait to be plucked up and wished on, she lights up the world with her eagerness towards life.
Megan Paletz (she/her) ‘28 is a human development and family science major student from New York City.
