It's A Miracle...

My mother has been really getting on to me for the past year because Kaytlynn hasn't been taught how to ride a bike without training wheels. I remember riding a bike without training wheels for the first time. I was at Sammy and Wanda Beene's house. I had spent the night in their attic, LITERALLY! (is there a more fun hideout?) I was 5 years old and my best friends Shannon and Holly were like sisters to me. Shannon was my age, Holly was a year younger, and we decided to go out and ride bikes. There was a problem...no training wheels. Mr. Sammy, for the life of him, could NOT believe that I didn't know how to ride a bike...he put me on it and off I went. No pushing me off, no running beside me...NADA. I was free as a bird. I'll never forget my mother pulling into the Jarrett Circle cul-de-sac...my mother, driving Daisy The Toyota Corolla, was smiling at us as we rode our bikes. I intentionally slowed down giving her a chance to see the 2 wheels and BEAMED at the fact that I was a big girl on a big bike. My mother smiled and opened her mouth in surprise. This unforgotten moment occurred 30 years ago. And the feelings attached to it is why I believe I remember it so well. To me, it was really a miraculous moment...A true miracle.

Kaytlynn is 7 years old...2 years older than I was, when I first rode without training wheels. I wanted her to not go through the falls, the scrapes, the bruises, the fear, so I put it off, and let her enjoy her bike with training wheels...and let the bike without them gather dust in the garage. Last weekend, my parents came down for a visit. I pulled onto Single Pine Ct and what did I see....My parents running around the cul-de-sac holding on to Kaytlynn...instructing her how to ride her bike. I was happy to see my parents doing this memorable thing with her. I was jealous and a little disappointed in myself, that I wasn't the person doing that with her. But most of all, I was scared. Scared that she would fall, be bruised, cut, scraped, and then never want to ride her bike again. She was soooo wobbley. I was actually surprised that she didn't take to it just as easily as I had 30 years ago. After a few more unsuccessful runs around the circle, Daddy decided the tire needed to be filled up...it had been sitting in the garage untouched for a year, ya know. I casually asked "Are you sure she is ready, she seemed very unbalanced." Without hesitation...but without meeting my eyes, my dad quietly, but firmly said, "she's past ready." While fixing the flat, my dad realized the brake was dragging the wheel the whole time she was riding it. He looked so frustrated saying "Poor kid, no wonder she couldn't do it.", and then to top that frustration...the tire popped. We took the girls bike gear off and Daddy went off to Wal-mart to buy a new tire for the bike. The rest of the weekend it rained so we never went back out to try it again.

Friday I didn't feel well so I took a nap. Kaytlynn comes in to my bedroom , smiling from ear to ear and asks me if I want to come see her ride her bike. I quickly get up and get dressed, not knowing what I was about to see. I go outside, Todd helps her up and gave her a little push and off she went. No one running beside her or guiding her. NADA. She was free as a bird. She went faster and faster, screaming with glee the whole time! Todd said that she literally did it on the first try...so there really was a problem with the brake. As soon as she started to ride she screamed over and over again "It's a Miracle. It's a Miracle" and then ran inside to get me.

"It's a miracle" she said again. And to her, it was. That same miraculous moment that I experienced 30 years ago, she experienced for herself...and to witness it...to witness my daughter doing this thing, accomplishing this small step and feeling so high with excitement and pride, was a miracle as well. We Both had a day we will never forget. Thank you God for miracles like that.