When I was in college (the first time), my friends and I often went to Kid's Castle to play... blowing of steam and stress from a long day of classes.  I was fairly large, but still was able to enjoy the equipment on the “5-years-old and up” side (we figured college students qualified under the “and up” part).   Oftentimes there was a lot of squeezing through holes that were tight for me, but I got through them.  I continued to “play” there after classes until I left MTSU.

When we adopted our oldest daughter, we took her to Kid’s Castle. Now, by the time she came along, I'd gotten REALLY BIG and couldn't go into the equipment with her, on either side.  She was so tiny that she could get through the holes on the 2-5 years-old side… and got a huge kick out of going someplace Mom couldn’t get into.

I had just chased her into an opening that I couldn’t even begin to go through when she got her necklace caught between two boards and couldn't get out.  Mike and I were too fat to go in and get her.  I finally found an odd hole that if I went down into one opening and stretched my arms, I could get her loose. 

And then?  I got her loose, but I got stuck.  It was humiliating.  I had to wait until several college boys showed up and helped haul my carcass up out of there.  We haven't been back.  

This past Saturday was the first time I've been back since then, and I'm thinner than I ever was...

I faced my demons and went through the holes my daughter went through.  I even went down the “Elephant’s Trunk” slide that I’d NEVER been able to go down.  I got on the swings and the chains not only did not cut into my thighs, they didn’t even touch.  AND I got on the tire swing with my friend… two of us on a swing that I couldn’t get on alone before.

I can hardly wait to go play again.