unschool monday :: determination

If I needed more reassurance that my owlets will learn if the will is there, it presented itself again last week. From watching Little Owlet overcome her fear of dogs, to this. Another reminder that the drive exists and the reward of gaining knowledge is enough. Big Owlet asked to go rollerskating for her birthday. Just to see if she liked it. She really wanted to learn. When we got there and strapped on the skates, it was harder than she thought. Much harder.

I watched her struggle around the rink. Shuffling slowly. She fell over once or twice. Flat on her bum, so hard that she bruised it. But she kept going. Holding onto the rail for dear life. Just a little past where the above photo was taken, she stood up a little taller. I watched her take a deep breath and stand there for a moment... Then she let go.

I came over all wobbly bottom lip watching her shuffle the length of the rink towards me. No hands, but slowly, slowly gaining confidence. It was like watching her learn to walk for the first time all over again. And then, on her eighth birthday, I remembered just how much she has learnt. How huge each of these tiny milestones are. How she keeps working away at the things she needs to learn, until she figures them out. How she takes it upon herself to learn when there's nothing anyone else can do to help her learn more or faster, she finds the determination. She takes a deep breath and gets on with it. She doesn't do it for grades or praise. She just does it because she wants to learn. She needs to learn.

And she knows that we are there to support her everyday if she needs us. Just waiting to help should she need a hand, just as when she took those first steps. Watching, guiding and beaming with pride at this determined owlet learning just for fun.