The Surprise:
For one of my birthdays, my husband Jay handed me a small envelope with a grin. Inside, it had two tandem skydive passes. One for me, one for my mom, then 56-year-old, who has acute rheumatoid arthritis. We looked at each other, confused, worried, trying to laugh but couldn’t, half wide-eyed. With a question: are we really doing this?
The morning felt rough as we had never done something this strange. We signed waivers, watched the safety video, and met our instructors. They were calm and kind, people who turn fear into steps you can follow. Harnesses clicked into place. My mom squeezed my hand, the same steady grip that has held our family together for years.
The Plan:
The plane was small and loud. We sat on benches, shoulder to shoulder with strangers about to become sky-friends. We embarked into a small Cessna flight that could carry not more than 10 people. We were tied to the instructor as its done during a tandem skydive. As the plane took off, the ground turned into a patchwork —fields, rooftops, rivers drawn thin as threads. The door rolled up and my anxiousness rose to the top. I was scared and wanted to run away.
The Experience:
My mom went first. At that moment I realized how brave she was. She looked back at me with bright eyes, took a breath, and smiled. And in few moments they rocked ahead and the sky took them far away. The space they left behind felt enormous and wide. My turn came fast. We moved to the door, and then no pause, no big speech, just jump……….
Free-fall was not falling; it was flying. those few seconds were the hardest. The part of me that stays inside went quiet. The part that loves open skies experienced the openness.
My instructor pointed across the blue: there your mom. Her parachute bloomed like a kite. We floated, turned, and took in the horizon together from two different patches of sky. Below, the drop zone grew, Jay, my son and my dad became people again—arms lifted, face tilted up.
I felt that the Landing was easy and comfortable. However, I was worried about my mom’s landing due to her acute arthritis. She touched down moments later, seamlessly. We ran to each other, laughing and crying for no practical reason. My mom has always been simple and homely. I would never have thought that she loved adventure and travel, until this moment. She spent most of her life in the home and around us the family. I see a sudden sense of achievement in her and she was proud of herself.
What we learned:
That jump didn’t make us different people. It reminded us to be grounded. It was a hand squeeze, a deep breath, and trust in someone who knows the way. My husband’s gift gave us more than adrenaline. It gave us a memory to cherish together for life.
Now, whenever that old voice whispers be careful, stay inside, I remember the blue. I remember the rush and the quiet under the canopy. I recall my mom’s laugh and my family waving from the ground.
It’s all in the mind—until you step outside and let the sky rewrite the story.
Video of my skydive:
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