The Sidewinder

The Sidewinder 

The sidewinder was my favorite ride as a kid, the rush of twisting and turning, hurtling toward the ground. 

Only to twist and take flight at the last second, exhilarating as you narrowly avoid the hit. 

The sidewinder would become my undoing; working a carnival, pregnant with my eldest, it felt like I would puke with every turn around. 

No more rides for me after that, my poor stomach cannot handle it. 

 

Now life feels like a constant ride on the sidewinder, narrowly escaping hitting the ground with a last-minute twist. 

Never knowing if the hit will come from the front or the back; counting in miracles to get you through. 

Wondering when the luck will run out, feeling like you are trying to swim with fifty pounds weights strapped to each wrist. 

Taking each day as the miracle it is, knowing that no matter how hard it gets; each day given, is a gift to you! 

 

Life may be like a ride on the sidewinder; but it is an exhilarating ride, so take it one day at a time and just live. 

Because one day, the rude is going to stop; you won’t make that last minute twist in time, and you will crash in the end. 

There is no way of knowing when the ride will stop; so, live each day like it is your last, while remember to be caring and to give. 

Give your love and strength to others, to help them see each new day as the gift it is; sometimes leading to amazing things around the next bend. 

-Angela Stull, 4/7/25