Feelin' Fancy
The seat is a little hard and the handlebars are sticky from whatever you ate earlier. You feel the gravel beneath your left foot and the pedal beneath your right. There’s a sense of discomfort, excitement, and fear. There’s no going back. Holding your seat and your right hand as it’s gripping the handle bar, he asks you if you’re ready. You shake your head as if to say yes, but you’re not sure. You feel him pushing you forward and your left foot catches the pedal. It becomes a balancing act, but he’s got your back. He said he’s not letting go. Your feet start pedaling, faster and faster, and then suddenly you sense he is no longer holding you up. You look around and see an expression of pride on his face. Your father’s got a big smile on and he’s clapping his hands like his favorite sports team just won a big game. At that moment you realize you’re riding your bike all by yourself without training wheels.
Learning to ride your bike is such an epic and accomplishing moment in your life you never forget. When I saw this video it brought me back to that moment and made me tear up a little. I suppose it’s not just the childhood memory that made me want to cry, but that sense of accomplishment in anything I’ve done was always accompanied by a little push from family.
The stories we had imagined seemed so real as we acted them out when we were kids. It’s remarkable what a child’s imagination is capable of and for many of us that imagination dwindles away. It makes my heart ache when I remember the times I’ve played, making up stories that made no sense and never seemed to end. The innocence of it all is something I value. We grow old and that innocence is lost, as is much of our imagination, but we don’t forget it was once there. We remember little moments of our childhood that we appreciate and keep dear to our hearts. Sometimes the lucky ones whose imagination didn’t disappear becomes a part of our lives just as much as their own.
At the time when my parents read me a bedtime story by Maurice Sendak, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you he wrote the book they were reading me. All I knew is I really wanted to finish the story. I remember being so intrigued and wanting to be a part of Max’s adventure.
Today, I still don’t really know who Maurice Sendak is and I’m not going to pretend that I know his life story, that I read all his books or that I was his biggest fan. All I know is that he wrote one of my favorite bedtime stories, Where the Wild Things Are, and it has become a story that I have kept dear to my heart; not to mention a childhood memory that I’ll always cherish. I also know that one-day when I get married and have children of my own, I’ll be reading them my favorite bedtime story of Max’s adventure.
Thank you Maurice Sendak…
Perhaps tell your stories to my little brother if you could.
Anyone who can find me these turtles for my dashboard, I will love you forever. Not even kidding…this would seriously make the best gift ever…I miss my turtles terribly. (Taken with instagram)
You’re in Steelers Country. Let the game begin.
I love it when it snows and the only thing you can do is enjoy the warmth of a cozy home and a book.
Such a pleasing and calming sound. Feels like sipping hot chocolate by a warm fire in a cabin wearing oversized sweaters, fuzzy socks and reading a good book away from society…too perfect.
On repeat.
1.7 million viewers, TLC’s best Sunday prime time performance in more than a year, a first step and a new approach.
