I had with dd today. First she got to her karate lesson at the Y, where she's just started with the lessons. I usually take a wait and see on lessons, because you can never predict just how or if a child will take to them once they get into it.

But dd seems to have found a good thing. I observe the class from the perimeter, and to see the focus and determination on her face, the looks of pride when complimented by one of the instructors--well, it has been a good thing for this mother to witness. And in between lessons, dd can be found periodically practicing the kneeling pose, the closed-eye focused breathing, some beginner stances and blocks. After the past year this courageous, amazing little girl has passed, we both welcome this bright new thing into her life. A special thanks to W.G. for suggesting this!

Speaking of bright things, we went to the park in the afternoon, because it was gloriously sunny and blue-skied. A bit cold, we bundled up a bit and took her new kite, a pretty dragonfly design, up the bike path that circles the lake. The wind was gusty and unpredictable, and I had a hard time getting the kite to go up very far, but this ended up as a blessing. When it became obvious that height was not in the offering, I gave up and suggested starting back to the car, holding the kite with a just a few feet's worth of string let out. As we walked, the kite played about our heads, and was fairly easy to control and keep aloft. I handed it over to dd, and as we neared the field next to the parking lot, she began to dance with the kite.

Dd, holding the kite aloft with one hand held up high, began to twirl in circles, humming and singing while skipping a little near the path. This scene was framed by the brightly sparkling sun reflecting from the waves on the lake, as it was beginning to head toward late afternoon. I wished for a moment that I had had my camcorder with me, but I have the feeling that this will be one of those unforgettable moments you will always be able to recall with ease. We stayed for quite a while longer, until everyone else had left, our cheeks were numb, and the what wind there had been began to fade away for the night.

Upon returning home, still bubbly from the park, dd took my suggestion to try a few passes on her bike around our small parking lot. We had picked up her bike from the shop earlier in the day; it had been having technical difficulties since she had gotten it over a year ago, and I was eager to see if the problems had finally been ironed out. Dd wheeled about expertly, and as she passed me by she reported everything was working just fine. Not too long a while later, as the sky was really beginning to darken, I called to her that we needed to call it a day--I was hungry and had to think of dinner. DD rides up and brakes to a stop and a bit breathlessly says, "that's o.k., mom, my smile muscles could use a rest for a while, anyway!"

A tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. The kind of magic that comes when you're not expecting it. And when it's been a while, it is so very much sweeter. I want more.

Tags: great day, park, bliss, fun, spring, kites, bikes, children, karate, smiling, magic

Add A Comment