My Greatest Risks

National Blog Posting Month – March 2013 – Risk

Prompt – Name a time when a risk you took paid off.

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I’ve taken lots of little risks along the way. Some big. Some seemingly trivial. None were really life-threatening (or at least at the time of action, I didn’t think so), but all have been life-altering.

I took a risk when I decided to strike out from my parents and go to college out of state. It would have been much cheaper and simpler just to live at home home and go to the local university (the University of Utah). It would have been a great education and would have cost 1/10th of what I actually spent. But… I felt like I needed to get out on my own. It worked out for me, though. I got a great education, plus the independent life experience I needed.

I took a risk when I married a guy before I had even known him for a full year. Eleven years later, we’re still doing well. There have been difficult times, but we’re still progressing. Some of our biggest marital challenges come from the third greatest risk I ever took – a risk we took together – deciding to start a family.

Most people understand the risks involved with having kids. With modern medicine, the risks involved with maternity are pretty minimal, but they still exist. I was one of the ‘lucky’ ones to have problems. I hadn’t anticipated being in heavy labor for hours and having the realization that these might be my last moments alive. This child was not to be born without surgical assistance. A C-section later, I find myself to by a proud parent. I hadn’t anticipated that the risk would be so great, but the outcome was worth it.