One determined little girl
A friend of mine from Beijing proper was doing some volunteer work here in Changping this morning. During that time her daughter came to our apartment to play with Myles, and then in the afternoon we all went to Huanghuacheng area for lunch and some Great Wall hiking.
All morning, Brigid watched the two older kids play together, and she stayed close to them. At lunch she sat right next to them. When we started up the Wall, she refused her usual comfortable perch in the backpack carrier and tried her best to catch up to Myles and his friend. They, of course, had run ahead, challenging each other to climb higher and faster. Brigid was determined. "I have to catch up," she said so clearly.
We offered to put her in the backpack, so she could ascend quickly. She would not even consider it. "I can do it myself!" was her mantra up these incredibly steep steps. Not once did she show any lack of confidence or any uncertainty in her own ability to tackle these challenging stairs.
She stopped briefly to allow me to take a picture. I wanted to capture an image that best showed the magnitude of her task. This, though, was only about one third of the number of narrow, steep steps she scaled.
I followed closely behind, though she never faltered. Amazing, I thought, certain that pure determination alone was propelling her up the Wall. We congratulated her, often, but not just because that's what parents do. We were truly amazed at her.
When she pulled herself up from the top-most step in this series, the do-it-myself pride was immediately wiped from her face. The next section was without steps, but still rather steep. To Brigid it probably looked like a wall. In disappointment and fatigue, she burst into tears, "I go in the backpack."
Shortly after that she was fine, enjoying her ride high on Daddy's back.
As I write this post, and toggle through the pictures I took today, Brigid is sitting next to me. "I climb the Great Wall," she points out to me proudly.
Yes, you did. You really did it yourself.
All morning, Brigid watched the two older kids play together, and she stayed close to them. At lunch she sat right next to them. When we started up the Wall, she refused her usual comfortable perch in the backpack carrier and tried her best to catch up to Myles and his friend. They, of course, had run ahead, challenging each other to climb higher and faster. Brigid was determined. "I have to catch up," she said so clearly.
We offered to put her in the backpack, so she could ascend quickly. She would not even consider it. "I can do it myself!" was her mantra up these incredibly steep steps. Not once did she show any lack of confidence or any uncertainty in her own ability to tackle these challenging stairs.
She stopped briefly to allow me to take a picture. I wanted to capture an image that best showed the magnitude of her task. This, though, was only about one third of the number of narrow, steep steps she scaled.
I followed closely behind, though she never faltered. Amazing, I thought, certain that pure determination alone was propelling her up the Wall. We congratulated her, often, but not just because that's what parents do. We were truly amazed at her.
When she pulled herself up from the top-most step in this series, the do-it-myself pride was immediately wiped from her face. The next section was without steps, but still rather steep. To Brigid it probably looked like a wall. In disappointment and fatigue, she burst into tears, "I go in the backpack."
Shortly after that she was fine, enjoying her ride high on Daddy's back.
As I write this post, and toggle through the pictures I took today, Brigid is sitting next to me. "I climb the Great Wall," she points out to me proudly.
Yes, you did. You really did it yourself.
Comments