I have a very soft heart. No matter how old my step-kids get, I still have a strong instinct to see to their protection and happiness. This holds true for everything from medical procedures to recreational activities. They are 25 and 21 years old. Yes, I know they’re adults.
Over the past weekend, my husband and I visited a theme park with my step-daughter and her family. We hadn’t been to a theme park together since she was 14 years old when immediately upon entering the park, she informed me that she didn’t want to be there. I did my best to entertain her that day, but it was really a waste of money. I swore I would never take her back there. Well, 12 years have passed, and she asked that my husband and I accompany her this time.
Once we arrived at the park, it took a while to learn the layout of things. We decided to walk around a little bit before exploring the rides. We visited a couple of the shops and then had a nice lunch. It was after lunch that she decided she was ready to tackle the brand new roller coaster that had only been open for a week.
We got in line and the nice man at the ride’s entrance told us that we were looking at over a two-hour wait. I didn’t want to wait. Roller coasters aren’t my favorite thing. I can take them or leave them.
I explained that we could find another ride, but my baby girl had her heart set on this one. She turned to me with those big blue eyes full of emotion and said, “I paid a lot money for my family to get in here; I came all this way; and all I want to do is ride the new roller coaster.”
How could I say no to that? We waited two and a half hours to ride the new roller coaster. The workers were still working out the bugs, so the ride stalled several times. At one point she told me that if I could get out of the cattle shoot they had all us all in that she would understand if I gave up on her. I’ve never abandoned that girl, and I certainly wasn’t going to start with a lengthy wait for a silly ride.
Silly ride. That’s not exactly accurate. That ride was the most intense and adrenaline invoking two-minute experience of my life. It started with a ten-story 90 degree vertical drop and then presented several loops where we went upside down at a terrifying speed. It was fun, but I would never have waited that long for such a short burst of a thrill ride. However, my baby girl loved it, so it was worth the wait for her.
I remember my parents riding theme park rides with me because I just had to have the rush. They grumbled, but very rarely ever refused to accompany me. There is something that they never told me, though. Mom and Dad never once mentioned being sore the next day. It’s been two days since I rode the extreme roller coaster, and I still feel like I lost a fight with a couple of grizzly bears.
I asked my mom about the soreness, and she said it was always worth it to see my smile. I think that sums it up pretty well. It’s just one of the things we do for our kids. Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please subscribe to Ozarks Maven, Like Ozarks Maven on Facebook,or follow me on Twitter @OzarksMaven.
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