the courage to let go

Up and down the street she rides with one hand on the handlebar. She’s been working on getting the courage to let go. She’s watched brothers and friends cruise along with their hands lifted high in the air – calm, cool, and collected. They make it look easy – this thing that seems so exciting, yet so very scary to her.

Her grip loosens and she opens her hand, but quickly clamps it back down when things feel uncertain and unsteady. She is scared to crash knowing it might hurt to fall, but she keeps thinking about it and keeps taking little steps towards letting go.

She’ll soon be riding down the street with hands lifted high, a big smile across her face, and a nervous giggle spilling out of her. I’ll probably be following behind with a camera in my hand and a reminder in my heart of how my kids are always teaching me more than I could ever teach them.