Yesterday my 5 year old son decided it was time to take the training wheels off his bike and ride like a big boy. We have been trying to do this for a couple of months but he was never into it. For whatever reason last night he thought it was time to do it. So he told my wife to take the training wheels off and let him try.
My wife was the videographer and I was the one chosen to run beside him to help if needed. We got to our starting point, got his feet positioned just right, and gave him a push. I thought for sure he would be wobbly and end up falling over. But to our amazement he took off like he had been doing it for years. I stayed close the first several times just in case but he really didn’t need my assistance anymore. One of the hardest things for a kid to do while learning to ride without training wheels is getting started. Well, my son figured that out pretty fast too. After a few times around the neighborhood he learned the power you get from standing up and pedaling. We were simply amazed by our son yesterday. We were just waiting for him to ride with no hands or do a wheelie.
He rode, and rode, and rode the rest of the night. I got on the bike and rode around the neighborhood with him. The glow in his face, the freedom he had, and the fearlessness he processed made me realize something. When I ride it is usually a specific workout dictated by distance, speed, and technique. What I realized is that I need to ride like my son every once and a while. A ride that has no goals, a ride where you just get out and go without a care in the world, a ride that makes you feel like a kid again, a ride where you stopped and enjoy your surroundings, and a ride that takes you somewhere you have never been before. Sometime I need to leave the GPS at home and go for a ride and enjoy the freedom of cycling and enjoy what God has blessed us with.
Feeling pretty confident about his riding ability he said to me, “Dad, I am going to race like you AND I will beat you.” Love his confidence and competitiveness.
So from time to time go out without a watch and GPS and bike, run, and swim like a kid.
No comments:
Post a Comment