Pursuit and Happiness

Kidlet is making out his December gift list. He has the unfortunate luck of having a birthday smack dab in the middle of the Holiday Season. One of the things he asked for was the new Skylanders video game. (Let’s not tell him he won’t be getting it. We are trying to cut down on screen time. He’s getting books.)

But, knowing me well, he sweetened his sales pitch for this game with the following bit of information:

“Mom, they have a character named Roller Brawl!”

Yeah, I’m going to need to paint my helmet like that.

Kidlet has also pointed out other places he has found Derby Girls. One place was in my favorite kid’s show Phineas and Ferb. If you haven’t had the great pleasure of watching this Disney animation, you should make some time to do so. I won’t even tell anyone if you don’t have kids. It’s a great show.

In an episode called “Crack That Whip,” (See, right out of the gate. Great title.) Betty Jo Flynn and Hildegard Johnson rekindle their roller derby rivalry. Betty Jo, grandmother of the titular characters, and Hildegard draft their grandkids to skate with them, pitting the smitten Candace against the boy she is crushing on. Skating ensues.

I am a little surprised—but tickled pink—that Kidlet is enjoying my Derby journey. But he sincerely is loving it. He writes about it in school. He talks about it to his friend. He throws around terms like “derby tough” and “hip check.” And I smile every time.

I like that he is seeing his mom as determined, strong, and daring. When he watches me give myself my shot, he is thinking that I am tough, not that I am sick. He loves to see bruises on my legs because I let him believe that they are from derby, not from Avonex.

I’ve said it before, but Kidlet is the reason I can never, never quit. He has too much faith in me, and I cannot disappoint him. I cannot let him see me stop something because it got hard. He knows that I am strong and fierce. And he knows that I will always stand by him, behind him, and, if necessary, in front of him.

But, more importantly, he will see that the coolest things are often the hardest things. The most amazing experiences are often the scariest. Being brave does not mean never being scared. It means doing it anyway.

When our family was in Mexico, one of the activities that Kidlet tried out was the trapeze. He got into the harness, climbed the ladder, and swung on a bar that was 30 feet in the air. I asked him about it later. He said, “I’m really glad I tried it. Now I never have to do it again.” He tried it. He is so brave.

I dig that kid. So, in the immortal words of Candace, see you on the track, chump!