The Freedom of Wheels

A general lack of sidewalks combined with the steep hills and rough rocky roads of Puriscal could make any parent think twice about buying their daughter her first bike. However, when the big "7" came around we decided that it was worth it for Salomé to learn to ride a bike, even if it meant carting it around to flat spaces.

Her birthday is in June. Typically, June is near the beginning of the rainy season here in Costa Rica, but last year we had already been under umbrellas for two and a half months by the time we unveiled the bike. Rain means mud, and mud presents a new challenge for a kid learning to stay balanced on two wheels. We tried to get that bike out the door every free sunny chance we had, but the rain kept increasing and within a couple of months the bike was not getting much action. After the faucet turned off and the ground dried out, it was no wonder that not a whole lot of progress had been made toward Salomé riding on her own. She had never really had a chance.

Here is where my daughter astounds me. She has this gift of being able to master anything she puts her mind to. Lots of us give our best shot at something only to realize it's not our thing, but Salomé, if she gives it, she gets it right back. So, one day she and her dad went out for another practice session. "I'm going to do it today," she declared as she left the house. Sure enough, when she got home she had lapped the soccer field for a good hour, all on her own. Wow, that switch went on and bam, she did it. When she got home and told me the good news, I was not at all surprised, just really proud of her absolute confidence. I asked her how it felt to cruise around on a bike. "Free," she answered, "totally free."