How to Lose Your Self-Esteem in Just Three Days

This is a three part story.  I hope you'll stick with me to the bitter end. :-)

Part I:
Let me see if I can explain this story to you in a way that you will understand the depths to which my spirit has sunk.  It all started about six months ago.  My life-long snow skiing husband decided this would be the year to take the kids snow skiing for the first time.  In theory I agreed with this idea.  However, there is a back story that must be told. 

During Christmas break my junior year of  high school I went on a youth ski trip.  This was my first exposure to what would become a sport which I despised, loathed and hated.  After a half day of ski lessons, my dearest and best friend, Marian (yes, Marian, I am calling you out! :-)) , said I didn't need anymore lessons.  She would take me down the mountain.  When we got to the top, the green slope we had planned to take had been closed and we were forced to descend a black diamond.  Three terrifying hours later I made it to the bottom, still alive by the grace of God.  I got on the bus which had been waiting on me and received cheers of applaud from my peers.  Their joy at my still being alive made no dent in my shattered confidence. 

It was then and there that I made an agreement with mountains.  I would not attempt to ski on them and they would not try to kill me.  It is a pact which has served me well these past 30 years.

So here I am actually entertaining the idea of subjecting my children to this vile and dangerous sport.  Nevertheless, as I have many friends who ski often and live to tell about it (their sanity I now call into question), I agreed to the trip.

We arrived in Angel Fire, NM earlier this week.  The weather was warm, the children excited and the snow deceptively beautiful.  As we are traveling with dear friends, who also ski, I gave into my family and friends encouragement to give skiing another try.  I enrolled in lessons.  With acid churning in my stomach, I attended the brief class and went down the bunny slope with my instructor.  Let me just say now that it goes from bad to worse.

I fell getting off the ski lift; I fell going down the first slope (with my instructor and classmates yelling, "pizza wedge! pizza wedge!".  As if this were not enough warning from the mountain, I agreed to go again this time with my kids and husband.  After a couple of runs (still on the bunny slope, mind you) the mountain let me think I was getting the hang of it.  In retrospect I see that it was just toiling with me, luring me into it's web of death.