Letting Go...

Okay, on a really heavy side...highly unusual for this blog, but when the moment arrives (or like Scott and Kim and Emma and Gus, when in Paris or Sam and Anne when in Greece...)
Gracie has been begging for us to take the training wheels off of her bike. She rarely rides her bike as she much prefers her scooter to bikes. Anyway, she has been begging for us to remove the charity wheels and we finally obliged. We had her put on her roller skating gear
That really is her in there, not just some beekeeper from space or something...honestly...it is her.
So, once in all of her gear, including knee pads, wrist pads and a helmet, she got aboard the Princess Cruiser 7000 (cool name, to be sure) and I ran alongside of her up and down the street and driveway.
The truly amazing thing about parenting, that most of you have learned at one point or another, is that you have to let go sometimes. It was, as Amy said, surreal. The moment when you just knew you could stop holding the seat and handlebars and that she would be able to make it on her own. We cannot believe that Gracie is already 6 1/2 and heading into 1st grade. And, sure, this is just the latest in many "letting go" moments, but it was something else and we just loved the moment.
(This is an artists rendition of the moment as we did not allow cameras in the area. I also want to make clear that the only injury sustained was by me, when she slammed on the brakes and my shin went right into the chain...OUCH.)
So, that is our moment that really did mean so much. I included the YouTube clip as the song, for all of you that have heard it know, is very poignant. I am sure that with all of the cousins growing up and either heading to college or not far from it, we are all in the same bike race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLjlVBE2Mhk
Have a great weekend. Spay and neuter your pets. Give to the folks in the Texas Valley. Watch the movie 21. And, watch your kids around water.