Baby Steps -

"You could," his dad said softly. "But you’ve already mastered the small wheels. They aren't helping you anymore; they're just holding you back. Just focus on the first ten feet. That’s all. Baby steps."

Leo stared at the cracked pavement of his driveway, his heart hammering a rhythm that felt far too loud for a quiet Tuesday morning. In his hands, he gripped the handlebars of a bicycle—the training wheels finally gone, leaving two thin strips of rubber between him and the terrifying concept of balance. "Ready?" his father asked, kneeling beside him. Baby Steps

Leo took a breath, pushed off, and immediately wobbled. He squeezed the brakes so hard the bike jerked to a halt. He felt the familiar sting of frustration. "Again," his dad encouraged. "You could," his dad said softly

This time, Leo didn’t look at the end of the street. He looked at a single oil stain on the concrete five feet away. He pushed. One pedal rotation. Two. The bike leaned left, and he corrected it. It leaned right, and he corrected it again. He reached the oil stain. "I did it," he whispered. "Five more feet," his dad called out. Just focus on the first ten feet

Every great journey, Leo realized, starts with the courage to be clumsy for those first few inches.

Leo pedaled. He stopped thinking about the "falling" and started feeling the "moving." By the time he reached the mailbox, his father’s hand was no longer on the seat. Leo was gliding. The wind, which had felt like a wall before, was now a cool hand against his face.