An Early Gift

Yesterday I received an early Father's Day gift. My 5-year old daughter Lucy learned to ride a bicycle. No training wheels, no running behind holding onto the seat. Just her and the bike.

She's been at it hard for a week or so, as has her older sister Tobi (age 7 - who will also learn within the next week or so, once she gets a bit more reckless courage). With helmet on tight, and often times, elbow and knee pads secured with velcro, she has been working on gaining her balance as she's wheeled down the gentle slope of the parking lot, feet skidding across the ground occassionally to prevent a topple. For the last 2 days, she's added the part about putting her feet onto the pedals. And yesterday, she started peddling. On about her fourth attempt, it all clicked somewhere in her brain. Just like your body suddenly "gets" how to swim, and never forgets it, her body suddenly "got" how to balance on a bike. By the time she came to a stop, we were cheering like mad.

But the best part of all, and the early Father's Day present for me, was her reaction. She raised an arm into the air, shouting at the top of her lungs to the entire family (and the heavens), "I did it!", over and over again, with real tears of joy and pride streaming down her face. I ran over to her, and as I hugged her (with tears of my own), she wrapped herself around me and said, through her tears, "I love you, Papa! I love you, Papa!"

Sure beats getting a new neck tie.