Dropping In Wed, Mar 13, 2019

Over the last few weeks, 90's skateboarding legend Tony Hawk has been tweeting videos of skate lessons he's been having with his 10 year-old daughter, Kadence. Recently, he captured her "dropping in" for the first time, a terrifying maneuver in which you enter a ramp by dropping your board into it. And trust me, the drop always looks bigger than it is from the top of the ramp (click here to watch). The video shows Hawk celebrating when his daughter goes down the ramp without falling, and it’s probably one of the most adorable things ever. 

Hawk captioned the tweet, "My daughter overcoming her fear in real time (wait for it). I might have been more nervous than she was." Listening to Hawk cheer her on has me wondering if my desk is due for a dusting, because there is definitely something in my eye. 

I'm currently teaching my 8-year-old brother, Noah, how to skate and I can absolutely relate to the mixed feelings of pride, nervousness, and excitement that is shared between the both of them. Granted, I'm nowhere near Hawk's pro status so the trust between Tony and Kadence might be a little stronger than the trust Noah has with me. But like Tony, I definitely am more nervous as a teacher than as a kid learning something for the first time. Regardless, I've learned to set aside my own worries of him possibly getting hurt, and have been so inspired by his ability to just go for it in response. During the first few days of him getting on a skateboard, he has scraped the palms of his hands, fallen on his back, and has scuffed his knees a few times. Each time he has gotten right back on his skateboard without any tears or hesitation. I was the one who was asking if he wanted to go back inside and try again later whenever he fell -- not him! 

Now that he's starting to find his own groove, I'm realizing that just a few "you can do its!" and a patient, loving attitude goes a long way. If I held his hand throughout the whole process, he would've never had the confidence to bomb down a hill on just day two of learning how to skate. On the other hand, if I were to just give him instruction from the sidelines, he wouldn't have the motivation to ride with a brave attitude anymore. Twitter user @NewCapabilities stated it perfectly with a tweet in response to Hawk's video: "probably the most difficult and crucial thing of parenting: avoiding to transmit our fears and help them overcome their own." Putting aside my own fears and giving him my assurance (plus a cool helmet with spikes on it) has allowed him to push forward confidently, graduating from his Razor Scooter to a skateboard. His bravery and persistence throughout all of this is giving me the most rewarding, memorable moments - not only as a big sister, but as an adult who still has a lot to learn. SOTY, here we come.

Below: Noah's first time balancing without me. Look at his little wave 😭