She wanted to go on the lift for the first time and her ski instructor said she was ready. "She'll be fine," her worry-free dad said as they started for the lift. Skiing is inherently dangerous. Injuries happen all the time. I second-guessed this decision. What kind of mother . . . "Sit!" The chair hit my knees and I fell into it. The safety bar bounced, reminding me to pull it down. It was time to focus on the present: The blue skies, the snow-covered trees, and the caring arm around the little girl in the double chair in front of mine.
Jenn Apito lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids, but the mountains of Vermont call them every season of the year.