But Of Course

Olive squats next to me and digs her hands in the dirt.

She stands naked in the kitchen,

swings at a block with a hockey stick.

 

She demands, "No! red bike!"

And pulls the too-big two-wheeler out of the garage.

 

I follow her with her trike.

 

"No! Red bike!"

She hikes her leg over the seat as I strap on her helmet.

 

With my arms spread, in an attempt to surround her, I watch

as she learns to peddle.

 

My baby.

Biking down the road.

 

Its possible.

And probable.

 

Our children will leave.

 

They will push and pull,

till they reach that bend.

Comments

[danielle in zurich]

Hi Christy,

You must read a poem by one of my favorite poets, Linda Pastan. Of course, HER daughter was 8!! ;)

To a Daughter Leaving Home

Linda Pastan

When I taught you
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping along
beside you
as you wobbled away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud
of your crash as I
sprinted to catch up,
while you grew
smaller, more breakable
with distance,
pumping, pumping
for your life, screaming
with laughter,
the hair flapping
behind you like a
handkerchief waving
goodbye.

from The Imperfect Paradise, 1988
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, NY

Copyright 1988 by Linda Pastan.
All rights reserved.
Reproduced with permission (click for permissions information).

[Lindsey]

Oh, tears. And that poem is one I love, too! The last scene of the memoir I wrote (and abandoned) is of my son riding on two wheels for the very first time. It is such a profound moment. xox

[Niksmom]

*LARGE lump in my throat*

[Christy]

Love the poem Danielle, thank you for sharing it.

Olive did have training wheels on the bike but I still didn't expect her to be able to ride it yet, not at two...its amazing the differences between my children. Olive seems to be growing/learning at such an accelerated pace, and yet it is all relative when your first child is so delayed. And yet he too, in his own way, is pushing and pulling himself out of arms reach.

[danielle in zurich]

Get rid of the training wheels for Olive and take off the pedals, just make sure her little legs can reach the ground....
--Swiss kids all learn on a "like a bike" and once they've mastered the balancing bit they can start riding early!
Glad you liked the poem, she is terrific.
D