The New Bike

Byrdy’s birthday was Sunday and his poppy gave him a red bicycle.  Byrdy has been riding his bike for long periods of time out on our dirt driveway and in the grass across the yard.  Getting a bicycle seems like a good opportunity to teach Byrdy about taking good care of his things.  One lesson that I absorbed from childhood was that my bicycle should always be put away at the end of the day and that I should never leave my bike laying out in the front yard if I wasn’t around to monitor it. For crying out loud, someone might come along and take it.  Today I began setting the stage for what I hope will be a childhood free of missing or rained-on bikes.  I explained that the new red bike should always go into the shed when it gets dark every night.  ”Why?” That way it wouldn’t get rained on which would make the seat soggy and wet.  And, no one will take it.  ”But it’s okay to leave it on the porch.”  No.  Someone could see it from the road.   “The cars in the road at night have lights.  They won’t run over it.”  ”They won’t run over it,” I say, “But, they might take it.”  There was a moment of silence and thought and then, “No they wouldn’t.  Their mom would say, ‘No.’”

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