I stand, palms sweating, on a tall tree stump on a sweltering hot day. The crisp woodsy air escapes my lungs. It’s not even a big leap, but I am nonetheless terrified. It was at a day camp; I was only in the third grade – and I was about to make my first leap of faith. I peer down at the girls waiting for my jump. “They will catch me” I think to myself, and with that, I release, trusting my instincts that these girls will come to my rescue. And, rest assured, they do.
I believe in faith, but in more than that: dependency. Now, I don’t mean constantly relying on somebody to do things for you, or allowing other people to live your life for you. That’s not what I’m talking about. I mean that everybody should have someone to rely on when the going gets rough. We should all believe in those around us, and that they will be there to help us out. Nobody should be so independent that if they fall, no one will be there to catch them.
Every day we depend on people: we have faith that our parents will be there to pick us up from practice. We believe that a classmate will have a spare pencil when we forget. We know that our friends are always there for us, and we rely on them to do everything that a friend is supposed to do. But why do we depend on these people, even if they have failed us in the past? Because we have faith, not just in ourselves, but in those around us.
People say life is like a roller coaster. Sometimes you’re up, at the top and feeling great. But sometimes you’re down, looking up at the very top and wondering how you fell so low. We’ve all been there: stuck at the bottom with no place to go. And let’s face it: it’s not a good feeling. But there’s always someone who helps us get back to the top of our game. Whether it’s a friend or a family member, we can always have faith that somebody will give us a lift to bring us back up.
And not only do I believe in those around me, but I strive to be reliable for others to depend on me. Because, I believe that in life there are people you should be able to rely on. The obstacles in this world are not meant for one man to face. And sure, these challenges of our faith in one another is not as obvious as an exercise in day camp, but I’ve found that sometimes you need someone to help and guide you through tough times.