The Little Skater

THE LITTLE SKATER

She skated by me on spindly, unsteady legs. The park path was smooth, but the little girl on roller skates kept falling down.

While swaying back and forth on a glider, I watched her. Each spill to the pavement made the small seven year old less unsure and made me more distressed to see her less able to master her skating skill.

The park was packed with families, pets, screaming children. A beautiful scene on a beautiful spring afternoon. I noticed everything, but the little girl on skates captured my attention.

I admired her tenacity, even as she got slower each time to rise up and try again. Her face registered heavy concentration and consternation at the same time. Determined to skate correctly, but worried for failure. Her knees hit the cement and as she rose yet again, I saw a bloody scrape.

Little children are so brave. I would've left wailing after failing so many times, but she still kept skating, arms flailing wildly for better balance.

Ironically, those rapid motions were her downfall. And down she went again.

As she struggled my way, her expression signaled a pleading request for a rest. I motioned her over and slid left to offer a seat next to me on the swing. Immediately, the little skater smiled, nodded, and collapsed quickly next to me with a grateful sigh.

“Hi!” I said brightly, and smiled big at her. “Hi,” she answered, as she looked up at me and then held her head in her hands with an audible sigh.

“I can't do it ...” she whispered with a throaty, whooshing sound, raising her sad face to look at me closely.

“Yeah, it looks like you're having a hard time,” I acknowledged. My tone brightened as I announced, “well, guess what? Today's your lucky day!”

The little skater looked at me with a toothy, eager grin.

“You just fell down next to a skating coach,” I continued, “and I'll bet I can have you up and skating within five minutes!”

“Really?” She smiled bigger as if she really had won something. She had a tooth missing and a precious personality. I knew I could help her and my confidence was contagious.

“Are you ready?”

She nodded eagerly.

Using my hands, I demonstrated the correct posture and explained how gravity, motion, and body position all affect balance and the ability to glide gracefully without worry of falling.

“Your body will follow your arms, so if you wave them around, you will be unsteady and fall back if your arms are behind you,” I explained. “Keep them level and in front of you, and if you feel yourself start to fall, push your arms even further ahead of you to regain balance.”

Anxious to succeed, she immediately tried to skate again, implementing my corrections. I think she surprised herself that a smooth and balanced glide actually was that easy! As she rotated to smile wide at me, she jerked herself back to balance, realizing that that turning motion made her wobbly. Her determination and belief solidified as the little skater gracefully glided away – seemingly taller with pride.

With matching satisfaction, I watched her skate over to her mother and brother, and pointing to me, the little girl mouthed some sort of over-exuberant explanation of our encounter and her newly found expertise at skating. They looked over to me and nodded.

The little skater skated away. Faster and faster, happier and happier. As she rounded the oval to pass by me again, she waved as if we were old friends. I clapped to applaud her confident success.

We were old friends. It was that easy.


Just Another Lori Story.