Go Down the Slide

I went down a water slide today. No, this wasn't the plan. I was going to sit on the sidelines and happily observe my family having fun. Yes, I did question my life choices at the top of a plastic tower surrounded by primarily young adults, children and a few other adults.  I thought, I’m too old for this. I also thought, this thing is basically straight down. Oh an added bonus, they weigh you on a scale prior to getting on the slide.

But then… my children bullied me into it. Persistently. And, of course, they’re right — I tell them all the time that it's good to do hard things. I tell them that comfort is the enemy. Now, they use my own advice on me. That seems wrong, doesn't it?

So I launched myself down that slide. And you know what? I remembered something as I was flying sideways down a dark tunnel: this is the point.

The point of being alive isn’t just about staying safe and comfortable. The point is to keep doing things that shake us up a little. To laugh. To be ridiculous. To say “what the heck” and take the ride. To connect with the people we love, even when our brains are exhausted and our bodies are tempted to just… not.

Now, don’t get me wrong — some things really are best left to the younger crowd. But if I decide that my best life is lived permanently glued to a lawn chair on the sidelines, then guess what? My body and my brain will take that seriously and keep me there. That’s not the story I want.

Here’s the truth: sometimes “the things” feel harder than they used to. Sometimes just managing life — work, family, health, bills, endless laundry — is exhausting enough to make the thought of extra fun sound like punishment. Our mental energy gets sucked dry, and all we want is rest. And yes, rest is good. God did build us with limits on purpose. He values our peace. But He also created us for connection, adventure, and joy. I have a hard time believing His plan was for us to live life avoiding all the good stuff just because it takes a little effort.

Life is full of opportunities — but if our health isn’t in order, if our strength and energy are gone, those opportunities slip through our fingers. And I don’t want that for myself, or for anyone else.

Wellness isn’t just “not being sick.” Wellness is having the energy to laugh until you snort, the confidence to show up fully, and the strength to say yes to the activities you love — even when they scare you a little.

So, here’s your gentle (okay, not-so-gentle) reminder: stop training yourself to sit life out. Go down the water slide. Say yes to the hike. Don’t let “too tired” or “too old” be the story you write.

Because the point isn’t perfection. The point is living.