As soon as he started dragging
the tricycle out of the garage,
all the shouldn’ts and couldn’ts
flew out of my mouth:
People don’t ride bikes in winter.
It’s just too slippery.
You might get hurt.
It’s too cold.
It’s not going to work.
Put it away.
But he asked if he could
please, please just try.
So I watched as he slid
down the steep and icy driveway
on wobbly wheels,
peering back at me
every few seconds,
nearly but never tipping over.
He was so proud to make it down
and wheel his way around the
snowy street.
And it was so sweet
to see him on a tricycle
in the middle
of a winter wonderland.
Note to Self:
I want him to believe
he can do anything
he puts his mind to,
but maybe more importantly
I need to believe he can do it, too.