The look up to the tippy top of the rood looked higher than ever. I stood on the dock with my cousins and watched as my dad trudged over to the boathouse and grabbed ahold of the wooden boards nailed into the thick bark of the tree. He stealthily climbed his way up, advancing higher and higher in the air, in a one foot one hand pattern. He faced the lake and stepped onto the roof. He had made it through the hard part physically, but now the jump was his next mental enemy. I watched as he combed his fingers through his hair and gazed out onto the open waters. He started to run, gaining speed and then he jumped, right off of our boathouse roof and into the lake below him.
His head popped back out of the water a few seconds after I had heard the impact of his body breaking through the surface of the water. I cheered as he swam over to me as I sat on the dock.

“Want to try?” My dad said as his hands clung to the edges of the dock.

“Umm,” I stuttered, I hate heights! I thought to myself. I glanced over at my cousins who had been  sitting on the diving board enjoying the sun.

“I’ll do it with you Bell, let’s go!” my cousin Amber responded. I hesitated, but it looked too fun and I couldn’t resist.

“Okay. I guess,”
My other cousins laughed and cheered me on so I decided why not? I stood up and walked to the back of the boat house as my dad climbed out of the water using the dock ladder. I peered at my cousins nervously as I watched Amber climb up the planks of wood. She waited for me at the roof.
“Come on up Bella!” I obeyed.
I gripped the wooden plank with all my might as I lifted my toes from the ground and slowly climbed up. I could see my knuckles turning white as I was holding onto the last plank for dear life. I approached an eye level view of the roof and then I had to step off. Amber was sitting at the base of the steep incline that I had to step off onto. Somehow I made it, and I was able to crawl up the incline of the roof without rolling off backwards and dying. I could feel my whole body trembling as I stood on the top of the boathouse 30 feet in the air. I couldn’t bare to look down at the water below me. My legs shook and it felt as if they were going to collapse right out from under me.
“Want me to go first?” Amber asked
“Sure, go ahead.” I watched as Amber mimicked my dad.
She took a running start right down the center peak of the roof, once she got close enough to the edge she jumped, letting her body fall off the roof and into the lake, I was now alone on the roof facing the calm waters of Lake Winnipesaukee trying to conquer my fears and jump. My brain said Just go for it, but I couldn’t muster up enough strength to move my legs. 

“Come on Bells,” my cousins screamed from their safe position on the dock,

“You can do it!”

I listen to their encouraging words and I wanted to jump off the roof. My feet started to burn, the sun had made the black shingles of the roof steam. I took a deep breath and another, and a couple more while I tried to stall.
“It’s kinda peaceful up here, I may just hang out here for a while,” I joked.

“Bella just jump!” Amber called from the lake.

“Okay..” my voice shaked.

I couldn’t just stand there forever, so I ignored my body’s feeling of holding me down and just went for it.
I took off running right down the center of the roof and when I reached the edge, I jumped. I felt my stomach lurch and I opened up my eyes to see my body stuck in between the stable roof and the water underneath me. The time I was free falling in the air, was only a few seconds but it felt like forever. The liberating feeling of not relying on anything or anyone to hold you up, the self-sufficiency is incredible. I instinctively closed my eyes as my body collided with the water. The refreshing rush of liquid surrounded my body as I tried to get my head out of the water. Once my head emerged, I looked up to see the boathouse hanging over me.

I had done it! I had conquered my fears and I jumped! I swam over to the dock and my cousins greeted me.
“Bella that was awesome! Great Job!”

My eight year old self was overwhelmed with joy by the other compliments, so of course, I wanted to do it again.
And this addicting cycle of jumping off the of the boathouse roof was put into action. Every year since 2008 I have waited till the summer, when the lake is finally warm enough, to jump off the roof again. Although I did not comprehend the lesson when I was eight, jumping off the boat house roof has taught me to take the risk and that I can do anything if I want too. The independency and self reliance I feel when I jump off of the roof is something I strive too feel as often as possible. I enjoying living life in the moment and taking things day by day.