Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic, but she did ice skate on her own without me this weekend. It all happened at her classmate's birthday party at the new Icetown Carlsbad rink. We have skated there before and while Siena was progressing away from pushing the PVC stand around the rink, she still held daddy's hand. She always wanted me close by when she tried to skate on her own,
This past weekend when she got to he ice some of her friends were using the "ice walkers" to hold themselves up as the dabbled with ice skating, many for the first time. But a few were out there doing it by themselves. As we entered the ice Siena held on to daddy as usual. But before we could get halfway around the rink she let go and wanted to do it alone. By the time we got all the way around she was on her own. She fell a few times in those first few minutes and as all daddy's do I swept in and scooped her up, offered her encouragement and hoped for the best. It only took a few minutes before she told me "I have it daddy" and asked for some space while she played with her friends. On the upside, Lisa still prefers to hold my hand on the ice.
It is a moment I was tremendously proud of as it happened, hey my little girl was skating, those training wheels on the bike can't be far behind. But as I watched the video later I was kind of sad thinking that the day when she just asks me to drop her off with her friends at the rink, rather than to come skate with her, probably isn't far away either.
When I shared the video and recanted the story to a friend, he asked an interesting question, so what does that say to you? My reply was that "she learns everything from her friends." He agreed, yes that too, but also sometimes we hold our kids back and we need to let them go a little on their own. This was coming from a man who I am not sure has ever done this with his now teenage children, but alas he is probably right.
My little girl is growing up. I knew she would, but I wish she could stay this age for a while longer as her sweetness and innocence is precious. So, for all of you (especially my mother) who said enjoy them while they are young they won't stay that way for long, you were right, everyday is a special gift.
