There are these things that just happen in a child's life. And in those moments, fathers typically have pre-determined roles they end up playing in those moments. And those times let you know that you truly are a father. Saturday was one of those days.
On TV, you always see the dad running alongside the child as he or she rides a bike without training wheels for the first time. That's just the way it is. That's just what fathers do. Saturday, we were watching Abby ride her bike. And as she did, the training wheels really never touched the ground. So I told her, "You know, in a couple of weeks, I think you should try riding without the training wheels." A few minutes later, Abby said, "I want to try it." Suddenly, everyone was excited. Abby and I took her bike into the garage to remove the training wheels. Sheri ran inside to get the camera. Abby put her helmet on. And elbow pads. And knee pads. And we found some gloves. We brought the bike back out into the street. I talked to Abby about what to expect and what she should do. Then I held her as she started to pedal. And then, I let go. And we went back and forth, up and down the street, with Mommy taking photos the whole time. She did it. And I started to run out of breath. She did it.
Abby is riding well...sort of. She can ride straight lines. She can stop. She still doesn't like turns and she still needs help getting started. And she did have her first fall (got to have one of those!)
Abby experienced another rite of passage. I got to experience another father moment...I let go.
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