SPLASH! I watched the fish hurdle out of the sparkling water glistening from the blinding sun. The fish enthralled my attention, I watched as they disappeared back into the water in a second.

I snapped back into reality when I heard my family yelling “Emma come on we gotta go!”

 These trips to my aunt's lake house every summer were familiar to me, but each time I came I was still amazed. This lake holds so many of my childhood memories. This time I went with my mom, brother, aunt, uncle, and cousins, the usual group. I continued walking down the wooden rickety bridge which soon melted into a cold concrete block. I carefully stepped onto the pontoon boat that we had rented for the day. The bright red paint screamed to get my attention. I grabbed onto the blazing hot silver metal as we started to move. I sat down and admired the beautiful lake ahead of me as we zipped out of the doc.

 For the first hour, we drove around the lake, as usual, my cousins and I decided that we wanted to go on the tube. My brother tied the banana yellow rope to the flat silver hook on the back of the boat. My twin cousins and I hopped on the raft and I pushed off the boat with my feet as hard as I could. We drifted out fastly and I began to realize how long the yellow rope was, it seemed to go on for miles. As the boat motor started to cough I knew we were about to go. Then suddenly we got jolted the other way and we were off. The lake turned from a calm serene space to a raging ocean crashing with waves of white green and blue. The water created a path for us just like how the construction workers pave the sidewalk. 

We laughed and smiled as we rode the waves yelling at our family to go “FASTER FASTER!!” My family drove to a cove that was close by while we were still on the tube. When we got there I quickly jumped off the tube to swim without looking where I was going. “HONK” the loud horn of another boat yelled at me to watch out. I swam the opposite way immediately so the boat could leave the cove. As I thought to myself I realized that I need to think before I make a rash decision so I don’t get hurt.  After that we all swam for a while, the water cooled my bright red sunburnt skin. My uncle and brother jumped off the bridge, I wanted to but I knew if I did my stomach would drop into my feet. So I swam for about an hour and talked with my family, we listened to music and reapplied our sunscreen. 

Soon after we drove out of the cove, to get lunch at Jimmy's. Every time we came to the lake we would go there because it's a restaurant and the marina where we dock our boat. We sat down at our wooden bench table, we ordered our waters then eventually ordered our food. I got chicken tenders and fries just like always. After lunch we went back out on the calm green water, it was infested with tiny ripples. As we got out to the middle of the lake I saw more and more boats, some were speed boats, some were pontoons, some were houseboats and I even saw some jet skis. I thought to myself I've always wanted to ride one of those but I wasn’t old enough yet. 

Suddenly WHOOSH! The sharp wind grabs my mom's favorite hat and carries it off her head and into the deep green water. Without thinking I stepped onto the tip of the boat and I jumped off. As I am underwater I hear the vast boat above me coming at me like a train running on its tracks.

 I swim quickly to the left towards a big log that’s floating as I hear my mom shrieking “EMMA.” As I grab onto the log I stay there catching my breath thinking about what I had just done. I realize that I could have just died. What was I thinking? At that moment I knew that I should probably think it through before I do something crazy like that ever again. 

As my family’s yelling to see if I’m okay I say back “yes I’m okay.” Then I grabbed my mom's hat and swam back to the boat.

 I climbed each of the three silver rungs and sat gently on the smooth leather seat. I gave the hat to my mom and I began to see the hot and salty tears stream down her face. 

“Emma I thought you were gonna get run over, what were you thinking?” She said to me.

I say back “I don’t know what I was thinking I just wanted to save your hat.” 

“I know but don’t you ever scare me like that again.” She says in a weary voice.

 “I know I will never do something like that ever  again, I love you.” I say. 

“I love you more.''she says back.

 As the sun starts to set, it really hits me that I could have really gotten hurt or even died. The lesson I learned that day was that thinking before doing something can prevent something really bad from happening.

I kept replaying that moment in my head but I snapped out of it when my little cousins screamed “What are we having for dinner?”

 My aunt yells back “Burgers and Hot dogs with French fries, then ice cream for dessert.”

 “YAY” they yell. I help them get off the boat then walk them carefully to the car. Appreciating each little moment more than anything.