I watched an awesome video this week of my nephew, Sebastian, who had just learned to ride a bike. My brother posted it on Facebook which allowed our family to share in the momentous occasion. I miss my family and I miss my little Sebas; only just six years old and passionate about absolutely everything and I’m not embellishing, this kid is hard-core happy about life!
What struck me like a big thump on the head (and the heart) was the way in which my brother handled Sebastian’s triumphant success on his bicycle. You see, Sebastian was doing fantastic and then, as bicycle riders in training often do, had a bit of a nasty spill and hit the ground hard. You could hear my brother in the background saying “Doing good, doing good….oh, and there he goes, takes a spill and keeps on going!” And then you hear my brother yell at the top of his vocal chords…”You go Sebas, good job buddy!” And off my nephew rides, so proud of himself and clearly thrilled that Dad was standing close to cheer him on.
What I witnessed in the video was a father so deeply engaged in his child’s life that his six-year-old was able to recover from a disappointing fall, dust himself off and regain control of his bike. No tears, no tantrums, just a face of determination. Little Sebastian displayed pure confidence and resilience; two qualities found in children who are taught to believe in themselves and who watch their parents’ daily example of confidence and resilience.
The bike wasn’t going to get the best of Sebastian and you could see it on his face. At the end of the video, he looked up with a grin that spread from ear to ear. It was beautiful and not just because it was my completely adorable nephew, but because you could see the future in that face…hard-core happy about life and the beginnings of a really great man.
Good job little brother.
Discussion
No comments yet.