I was never a fan of heights. The first time I rode a roller coaster was when I was 24 years old and it was because it was high time to get rid of the irrational fear of falling. My worst nightmares, the ones that wake you up in the middle of the night, are of falling and that no one there to catch me. The pit of the stomach that drops when you fall is thrilling to some but it is an adrenaline rush that I rather trade in for two feet on the ground.

I like to think that the fear of falling or even the fear of taking the leap comes from the fact that I always need to be able to stand on my own two feet. My own two feet and my own two hands can be the only reliable thing that will keep me going. Falling was not an option in my mind and I think my own fear of falling turned into not wanting to try anything new. But when you meet good friends or get closer to family, then all those fear just end-up being irrational.

One day I decided to take a leap of faith and trust someone to make sure that they would catch me when I fall. I never really did anything that was new or exciting and at 25 I should be trying something different. And trying something different can be exciting and exhilarating especially with someone who is right beside you watching the joy transform on your face.

I decided to try rock climbing for the first time and I learned quite a bit about myself that day. One important lesson that I took away from this experience was that belaying for another person takes me out of my own fear and into the line of fire. A small, fairly petite girl can secure a rope for a significantly taller and bigger boy and feel powerful. My own two feet planted in the ground, I watched in my own amazement that I belayed for a boy that I just started caring for.

Letting someone belay for you is even more of a trust exercise that I thought. Suspended in the air for just a moment means that you give up a little bit for someone else. It's a huge deal to let someone catch you when you fall. When I climbed a whole wall by myself and looked down at him, there was a moment when I just let go a tiny bit. That it was ok to let someone else plant two feet for you and hold you up when you need it the most.

I like to think I know myself well enough but what I failed to realize that when your whole life is on one piece of rope held together by two hands the only thing that you can do is just lean back and go for the ride. The drop in your stomach and the plunge in your heart can give way to something that is warm and comforting like a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy day.

So I think belaying for someone and having someone belay for you shows me more about myself than any old trust fall exercise can do. Because conquering fears and lending supporting hands is half of life and the other is to make sure that you have the best possible people to catch you when you need it.