Like Riding a Bike

Today on the walk home from the gym I saw a family.

They were at the little park, which is really just a space of asphalt and some fountains that usually aren't turned on. This is a popular place for rollerskating (there's even a class for adults!), baseball and kids riding on bikes.

The family was a mom, dad, son and daughter. The son and daughter were on their bikes, and the son was learning to ride without training wheels for the first time. His bike's training wheels were neatly laid next to the family backpack on a bench.

His parents took turns running beside him to ensure he wouldn't fall and to boost his confidence I'm sure. He made great progress, figure-8-ing his way around on the asphalt while little sister carefully wheeled her still-training-wheeled bike to keep out of his way.

Finally he fell, onto the bit of grass that's in the middle of the asphalt, and his mom caught him before he hit the ground. Immediately he popped up, looked at his dad, then his mom, and raised his arms in triumph!

He got right back on the bike and took off again. He'll have many hours of pleasure riding in his future. And I felt lucky to have witnessed his success.