Yesterday was a big day at the Miller Manor.  After weeks, maybe months of Stella begging, we took the training wheels off the bikes!  It was one of those milestone moments as a parent that you know you won’t forget.

Stella went first, of course she did.  She did great from the first run, but would throw her feet out as a reflex feeling like she was going to tip over.  Once she learns to trust herself a little bit more, she’ll be riding all over the place!  I was thinking about how life is just like that.  Once you learn to trust yourself, you’ve got the hard part down.  My heart was bursting over Stella’s excitement.  She is such a determined little spirit.  Once she’s made her mind up about something, there’s nothing that will hold her back.  I love this about Stella.  She will learn to trust herself and she will enjoy every minute of the ride, I just know it.

After watching her baby sister ride around (with help) for a while, Harlo was dying to do the same, but had an internal battle of nerves going on.  She wanted to ride on 2 wheels like her little sister, but is so cautious and very nervous about things like this.  Once she gathered enough courage, just as the sun started hiding behind the big mountain behind our house, she hopped up on that bike with 2 wheels.  Brady gave her a quick lesson on how balance works and prepared her for the first ride.  Certainly overwhelmed and conflicted, she had a moment of tears before their first go.  I wondered if she would hop off and try again another time, but she pushed through and nodded through sobs telling Brady she was ready.

I have had such proud moments as a mother, but I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so proud as I did this night watching Harlo be so so brave.  Sometimes I hear my girls say “I was so brave, I didn’t even cry!” and that is brave, but I think what is even more brave in this life is pushing through the tears, surrendering to the fear and doing it anyway – even when you’re NOT feeling brave.  That is the bravest of all.  I hope she knows that every day of her life.

Not unlike so many parenting moments, when we teach them we learn so much ourselves.  This was one of those days for me and I am so grateful to have this perspective of life.  It is such a good life.