Milestones

My dad would not think of letting me use training wheels. But his promise of a new bike when I mastered the art of riding a two-wheeler was enough incentive for me. I think I borrowed a second hand bike that my cousin had used the year before. I can’t actually remember learning to ride it, but I can remember the trip to town to the North Star station to get my new bike. It was royal blue. I remember riding it all day and into the night, back and forth in the yard. Up and down the driveway on the south side of our house that led to the neighbor’s. I remember riding until the sun went down. I definitely remember riding until my behind was so sore I couldn’t ride anymore. Certainly worthy of a milestone.
Enter graduation, marriage and the birth of our children. Classic milestones – boring!
When Mickey was four she started pre-school. Since I worked in the office at school, I simply took her to work with me every day. At about a 7:45 every morning, I would escort her to wait for the shuttle bus to the elementary school. We had a routine, and she would not permit me to leave without giving her a hug and a kiss when she got to the bus. Imagine, hugging and kissing your mom in front of fifty other little kids! I knew that this would not last forever, but that I would cherish it as long as it did.
At bedtime one night, Mickey asked if we could just talk for a while. She turned to me and said, “Mom, I just want to be your friend forever.” I hugged her and said, “me too”.
I’m glad I celebrated these milestones when I did … Mickey is thirteen now – and you can imagine I am not the only one she’s thinking of hugging …although she is still one of my best friends!