My Guru (and TGIF)

When the student is ready,

The teacher will come.

My guru stands

just a growth spurt under

42 inches short

Each afternoon

our lessons take place

The classroom – the sidewalk

Her teaching tool – a bike

Strapping on her helmet

a samurai of the spider-girl clan

my sensei

Begins

Suburban mother’s Sublime

not quite terror

but apprehension

mingled with awe

as I watch my child

Legs pumping

Pedals spinning

Bike flying

farther and farther

away from me

Pigtails

tiny prayer flags

sending Blessings

streaming

back to me

in the wake

of her flight

She is my personal

koan

mind-stopper

her actions requiring me to

drop the folly

of rational thought

forcing me into

the realm of

intuition

tutoring me in the wisdom

that is only accessible

by the heart

Eternally my baby

reminding me

of a newly hatched fledgling

feathers still damp

movements wobbly

plowing forward

Unaware

or unconcerned

of the dangers that lie ahead

You exemplify the truth

that nothing stands still

least of all ourselves

and Change is

present in every moment

I watch in wonderment

of your Courage

bravely rushing forth

to greet your future

and welcoming

the exhilaration of challenge

I recognize I cannot linger

in the past

or else I will be left

far behind

and life

cannot be lived from the safety

of a front porch

but by greeting it

head up

head on

Try as I might

to hold onto these moments

these feelings

shining pebbles of

Aliveness

the waves of life

sweep in and wash

everything away

in preparation for new

Offerings

Gifts

Inspirations

You move farther and farther

ahead

never glancing

back

but modeling a profound level of

Trust

that I am always running behind you

and present

To witness the triumphs -

a masterful negotiation of that sidewalk bump -

and quick

to clean up the spills

administer the kisses

to boo-booed knees or shins

my hand at the ready

to support you

through challenging

terrain

You show me

Life is fragile

We teeter our way through

balance always delicate

and even with training wheels

we still can fall

so we must continue

to practice

and practice some more

Accepting the falls

Believing

risks taken

will be outweighed

by the magnificence

of our flight