There it was, sitting in the middle of the front yard all yellow and black like some giant bee. It called to her and she longed to answer yet she was afraid. She had tangled with this machine before…and lost.
Her thoughts drifted back to that not so long ago day. On that day it hadn’t looked menacing at all; a little loud maybe, but harmless. She had watched her big sister get on and ride up the hill, down the street and through the yard with a look of joy on her face.
"It must be easy and fun!” she thought.
Before she had her turn she had to listen to Dad explain how to work the controls. She tried to listen, she really did! But she was already sitting on it feeling its power rumble through her little eight year old body. She stroked the handle bars and vaguely heard something about how to put the brakes on.
“Do you understand how to do it now? Are you ready? Are you sure?”
“Yes Daddy!” she replied too excited to sit still.
She straightened her helmet, tugged on her gloves and nodded to her Dad. He helped her roll it a few feet and let go as she twisted the throttle.
Her thoughts drifted back to that not so long ago day. On that day it hadn’t looked menacing at all; a little loud maybe, but harmless. She had watched her big sister get on and ride up the hill, down the street and through the yard with a look of joy on her face.
"It must be easy and fun!” she thought.
Before she had her turn she had to listen to Dad explain how to work the controls. She tried to listen, she really did! But she was already sitting on it feeling its power rumble through her little eight year old body. She stroked the handle bars and vaguely heard something about how to put the brakes on.
“Do you understand how to do it now? Are you ready? Are you sure?”
“Yes Daddy!” she replied too excited to sit still.
She straightened her helmet, tugged on her gloves and nodded to her Dad. He helped her roll it a few feet and let go as she twisted the throttle.
And she went.
Fast!
As she hurtled across the yard she could hear her dad and Tim the neighbor screaming something at her but she couldn’t understand them. She was too scared to do anything other than hold on for dear life as she watched the fence get ever closer. She squeezed her eyes shut tight as she hit. She kept them closed as she flew off the bike, through the air and into the bushes.
When she opened them Daddy and Tim were standing over her, looks of concern and fear on their faces. She tried to be brave but the hot tears fell anyway.
They helped her up and made sure there were no serious injuries. How could all that terror result in only a few scratches? She hated that ugly yellow and black thing!
“I am NEVER going to ride that thing again!” she had announced.
~
“You ready Littlebitty?” Dad asks, jerking her thoughts back to the present.
“If I die those two will be sorry!” she thinks. Dad and Mom have been trying to get her back on that thing ever since she crashed. Dad even went so far as to hold the back tire off the ground while she practiced using the controls.
She sighs. “Okay Daddy.”
As she swings her leg over the seat and sits down the powerful rumbling sends an unexpected thrill of excitement through her. She takes a deep breath and looks at her Dad.
He sees her fear and reassures her. “Remember, I made it so it won’t go fast. You won’t crash like before. Trust me.”
She stares at him a moment before nodding her head. She looks down at that rumbly black and yellow bike and a look of determination enters those clear blue eyes. She squares her shoulders, takes a breath and twists the throttle.
Her Daddy pushes her a few feet and lets go just like before. She tries hard to keep her eyes open. Ahead of her is the fence but this time she steers away. Pure joy shoots through her! She rides up the hill, down the street and through the yard. She feels the wind on her face.....and she is free.
"...but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead..." Philippians 3:13a
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4 comments:
I have a smile on my face because I remember you telling this story to us on a Tuesday night. I'm glad you wrote about it. :) Littlebitty is such a cute nickname. lol
Thanks Kim. I think I'm trying out my wings so I'm writing from any perspective I can think of! Jon calls Arielle "Littlebitty" and Jessica is "Sweetiepea". I guess we'll see what Gracie ends up being called. He's called her "Mini Muffin" alot lately. It's better than "chunky monkey!" lol
*typos...grrr*
I wanted to say that your daughter's first experience reminded me of a similar experience I had when I was around the same age. I am very proud that she overcame her fear and I hope you gave her ice cream! :)
I think she was so proud of herself that no ice cream was needed. She really was afraid to get back on that thing. When I read this to her she gave me a look of wonder like "How did you know!?" Silly girl! 'Cause I'm the mommy! :)
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