Jordyn has had a year long dream of being able to ride her bike to school. This is a dream that I was unaware of. She made me aware of this dream and how she planned to fulfill it. The entire last week of school she and her friend would be riding their bikes to school. She was smart about this plan and while she was on a date with daddy told him about it and he helped her map out the safest route to school. Well that was pretty much the go ahead. When she approached me she already had everything planned out. What was my part in the plan? I had to call the friends mom to set it up so she could go with us and I had to ride with them.
The first day it went smoothly except for the fact that I hadn't been on a bike in a very long time. I realized that there are an awful lot of hills going to and from the school....especially the ride back home. When I got home that first day huffing and puffing and legs afire I realized that I had to do it all again in a few short hours in the middle of the hot hot day. Tender mercy of all tender mercies it started to sprinkle when it was time to leave and pick them up. Oh what a shame. I should probably take the truck so that I can put the bikes in the back for when it starts to pour - was the merciful solution that popped into my mind. Genius! Well, they weren't scared of a little rain and it had all but stopped by the time I got to the school. It was nice for them to be able to put their backpacks in the truck making the uphill ride home easier.
The next day her friend didn't realize that the plan was to ride everyday and had gotten a ride into school. I thought another tender mercy had come my way as I was again contemplating the ride home. "Should we go home and you can ride the bus since your friend isn't home?" "No, that's alright, I still want to ride to school. It's fun." Oh boy. Kudos to her, but have mercy! OK, the bike ride really isn't that long, but I hate hills! The great thing was that it was already getting a bit easier to ride up the hills and it was only the second day. Your body can adapt pretty quickly to the tasks it's asked to perform. Jordyn informed me that I needed to drive the car in the afternoon because they had to empty their desks so their backpacks would be too heavy. Don't have to ask me twice! Out of another afternoon ride, yes!
All dreams eventually come to a sad reality. A point where you have to evaluate your dream. Is it worth it? Should I keep pursuing it? Was it everything I thought it would be? Today was that day. School ended at 12:45 (wed are early out) and I hadn't showered yet for the day. There was a nice breeze and I haven't made it to yoga in 2 weeks so I needed the exercise. I tried to push the thought of the return trip home out of my mind and happily rode my bike to meet them....dun dun dun
Jordyn had not experienced the return trip with a backpack on her back. Even though it was earlier in the day, it was hotter than the other 2 days that were cloudy and stormy. The hills seemed steeper and longer when the sun is beating down on your backpack laden back. Oh it was tragic. The saddest thing is that she gave up just before she got to the top of the last hill. She was yards from the pain ending. She threw her backpack to the ground and then her bike and then herself. She just sat down and cried. We gave her some space while we waited at the top of the hill. Some mom drove by. Saw her sitting there. Saw us just up the hill from her yet still decided to turn around and check on her incase I was being negligent or something. Maybe she tried to give her a pep talk. I'm not sure, but I wasn't about to go back down the hill to get her. We live in a society too quick to remove difficulties from our children which hinders their ability to become strong and resilient. I also resisted the urge to let her friend go on without her. We need to learn to stick by our friends and see them through difficulties. I decided to try the whole, ok we're leaving now approach to see if she would snap out of her hysteria. Her little friend couldn't handle the reaction that garnered from Jordyn so she offered to go back down the hill to check on her. I decided that it was pep talk time so I went back down too.
The kids are always joking that I'm the dad and Nate is the mom. I didn't sit next to her. Wipe her tears and give her a hug. I offered my hand to her to pick her up and told her that she was not a quitter. She was moments from the top and she needed to pick herself up and finish this and that I knew she could do this. No more saying "I can't" because that won't get you home. I then tried to tell her about the scene in Rocky, but it was lost on her, but I still sang the "getting stronger" song to her- she was not impressed or motivated by it.
I got the friend dropped at home and listened to Jordyn cry the rest of the way. When she pulled into the driveway I started clapping for her and saying "you did it, you didn't quit!" Oh boy. That was the wrong move because she threw everything down again and laid in the driveway to cry. I picked her up and put her bike away for her and she finally made her way inside. Some dreams just aren't the way you imagined them when reality sets in.
I'm interested to see how tomorrow is going to go...
BTW she graduated from the 5th grade. Holy moly, I no longer have a kid in elementary school. In fact when we moved to our new house it was the first year the school was open and I had a 5th grader and a 4th grader -it was 2008. I have had a child attending that school every year since. One of the teachers said, "oh my goodness, it's the end of an era. There will no longer be an Ivey at the school." Kinda crazy. We decided that I should have gotten a graduation certificate as well :0)
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