Today’s guest-blogger is Angels on Earth editorial assistant Kelly P. Gallagher.
Last weekend, an old friend called out of the blue and asked my husband and me to come ice-skating with him at a nearby civic center. I wasn’t too enthused. Ice-skating? Was he serious? It had been literally two decades since I’d last ventured out onto the ice. Not only did skating sound difficult—it sounded scary. I didn’t want to get hurt. And falling would be so embarrassing. I was sure that everyone else would buzz past me while I clung to the edge of the skating rink.
“Just try it,” my husband said. “We’ll help you out.”
We arrived at the civic center and I wobbled out onto the ice. My husband took my hand. Our friend skated behind us and told me I was doing great. Thanks to my earth angels, I soon felt confident enough to skate on my own. Gradually I gained speed. I even learned to make turns. When the others were ready to leave, I wanted to keep on skating!
Sure, I fell a few times. Sure, other people were better at it than I was. But I had tried something new. I’d had fun. And so I found my 2013 New Year’s resolution—to embrace new experiences. After all, there is no use in being afraid. Not when there are earth angels all around, ready to lend a hand.
