Impavid

When it comes to life, I’m not all that daring of a person. I’ll eat almost anything, so in that regard I have little fear, but for anything else I’m fairly reticent. Sure, I’ll try new things, but the risk has to be worth the reward…and more importantly the risk has to be measurable and demonstrable.

Many of my kids are exactly the opposite. The live for thrilling experiences, for one-in-a-lifetime opportunities. They will take risks without a second thought. It’s just their way…they’re daredevils. In short, they’re fearless. But it’s something more, something more subtle about their approach. They don’t bother comparing the risks and the rewards, they seem to look at the potential spectrum of rewards and somehow determine that even the smallest degree of reward is worth it. Not worth the risk, just worth it. And so they’ve jumped out of airplanes, climbed treacherous mountains, traveled to far-flung countries…while I’ve stayed at home and fretted over their continued existence.

I’ve been searching for a long time for a word that describes their natures, their fearless approach to life, to the way I would like to be. I finally found it in the word impavid.

So here’s to my impavid kids, and now to the next generation in the form of my impavid grandson. To those who are fearless in such a special way.