Proper Motorcycle Riding Attire

Esther has been sad a lot lately. If you know Esther like we know Esther – you know she is not our sad child. She is usually the one skipping down the sidewalk, making up songs along the way, while taking notice of the pretty flowers near the path.

Esther giggles a lot and likes pretty things. She’s innocent to a fault and just wants everyone to like her.

And now Esther is struggling physically. We find her in tears because she is now always ‘it’ if the neighborhood kids are playing tag because once she is tagged there is no way she can catch and tag anyone else. She is the slowest runner. Even slower than the littler kids.

She cannot ride her bike. I don’t even think she wants to ride her bike. And we have tried everything and it’s just tears. She can’t figure out how to glide on her scooter. She’s been trying now for four years and she just cannot get it. She cannot do the monkey bars or tricks on the swing. She cannot go upside down on the rings.  Her latest heartbreak is not being about to do a cartwheel. Not even close. I’ve been working with her intensely for 3 weeks and she’s shown no progress. (Also just because you are 43 and you CAN still do cartwheels, front walk-overs, round-offs, and back bends doesn’t mean you SHOULD do them – someone bring this lady some ice STAT!)

This is hard when you are seven and what do seven year old girls do – cartwheel after cartwheel after cartwheel.

She’s stopped playing with kids at recess because she cannot keep up with their physical games.   She’s made no good friends this year at school because she doesn’t play with anyone because she just can’t. And they don’t want to do the ‘boring’ stuff that she does.

She’s been crying a lot lately.   My heart breaks for her struggle.

And yes we’ve made a doctor appointment to see if something is really wrong or maybe she will just never be a very coordinated kid.

I just don’t want her to feel left out just because there are so many things that she can’t seem to do.

There’s nothing worse than feeling left out when you’re seven or unfollowed when you’re 43.

In the meantime we need her to focus on what she can do. She can tell funny jokes and draw great pictures. She can make-up amazing songs and now she can ride a motorcycle.

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