8 • JUNE 2017 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. Bicycle Training Upbeat in Yosemite, CA! Healdsburg, CA.


by Gabriel A. Fraire ~ gafraire@comcast.net ~


A true right of passage for any parent is teaching their child how to ride a bicycle. It’s something almost all of us parents have gone through with varying de- grees of success. We had been given a small bike by one of our friends and it was suggested we put


training wheels on it, easier said than done. The bike was old and the axel nuts were rusted. It took some time and real effort. At one point the wrench slipped and I scraped my hand hard on the ground getting a little blood on my knuckles. My daugh- ter looked at me and asked, “Does bike riding always


start this way?” I assured her once we had the bike func- tional


then we


wouldn’t have to do this every time. Bike ready I started to walk it down the drive- way, stumbled and collapsed on top of it. I lay there a second then stood up. My daughter looked


at me, “Maybe we should do this tomorrow.” I said I was all right.


I explained to her the bike riding process. Then I was going to show her. When I went to put my leg over the seat my foot caught the back fender and down I went, again. This time my daughter leaned over me, “Dad, just let


me try.”


I stood, she took the bike, threw her leg over the seat, jumped down on the pedal and took off. She zoomed away. I admired her in amazement until a realized she was riding down the street by herself. I jumped up and started run- ning after her.


She jumped


on the brake, the bike spun around. She sat there facing me for a second then jumped on the pedal and headed back toward me.


My scraped hand, banged up knee and bruised ego all melted into oblivion when I saw her huge smile.


Gabriel A. Fraire has been a writer more than 45 years. He often writes about his children. He can be reached through his website: gabrielfraire.com


Dr. Maria G Fraire, (right) is a clinical psychologist currently living in Boston and working for McClean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. In the Upbeat Times edition she holds she is portrayed as a little girl the kindergarten screener didn’t think was ready for school. Maria (born in Healdsburg) is pictured at Yosemite with her partner Dr. Nathaniel Van Kirk. ~ Photo from the Fraires


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