grrlTravels

we aren't savants. ever.

Today Z. had her first ice skating lesson.

Today Z. had her first ice skating lesson because I am trying very hard not to be the kind of parent I am. That is to say, I am trying very hard not to be the overprotective freaky mother that I think I might already be. I really don't want to be the mom wrapping the bubble wrap around and around, packing tape at the ready, or cutting the steak of the 16-year-old with a butter knife, or telling my soon-to-be-30 child how to mow the lawn without inadvertently removing a toe or two. Or requiring a blood transfusion. Or losing an eye. I'm just saying.

So when K. said that maybe Z. could try along with the boys I swallowed the 28 reasons that rose immediately in my throat as to why it was a bad idea and said, "Ok." We drove to the rink, paid our money, got her some skates, and sent her on to the ice.

I was kind of secretly hoping that she would turn out to be an ice skating savant. You know, we'd put the ice skates on her and tie them up nice and tight and she would glide out on the ice and never look back. I've been waiting patiently for the savantness to show up in our family, for someone to be very, very, intensely good at something.

Z. and ice skating are not the answer to my savant dreams.

Does it matter that she was very wobbly, that her ankles went every which way, that she fell and cried, cried and fell, that in the end she turned into a huge blotchy teary messy mess? On the one hand it matters quite a lot, and then again it matters The Very Most It Could Matter. But she did it. And I did it.

Now I'm all conflicted about what to do at the next class and I feel rather more protective about Z. than I did 4 hours ago but I took the first step in letting her go and I'm going to remember what this feels like.

For the next time.

Posted by grrlTravels at March 8, 2010 9:17 PM