Favorite Things

My gloved hands tightly grip the chest-high wall. I pull myself along, my shaking legs stiff, refusing to bend. I am a bundle of nerves. Graceful skaters whiz by me in bright glittering outfits, effortlessly gliding and spinning. I delight in their abilities.

I was determined to become comfortable on the ice, despite my limited vision and lack of depth perception. It was months before I took my first tentative glide away from the safety of my wall swizzles. My love of skating blossomed. I eventually found myself moving from rocking horses to skating backward around the whole rink, doing one-foot glides as I went.

Three years later, I feel free as the cool air brushes past. I gain confidence, allowing my glides to become faster and smoother, aspiring to be like the athletes flying past me.

I eagerly participated for the first time in our club’s Winter Ice Show with other novice skaters, skating to "Favorite Things".

Ice skating has taught me that it is not important to be good at something in order to enjoy it. It doesn’t matter how I look to other people, or how slowly I progress in comparison to them. Ice skating has taught me to be kind and patient. I do not judge others for their lack of skill or knowledge in any aspect of their lives, because they each have their own story that I know nothing about. To me, skating has become a welcome respite from school and academic pursuits, and the rink is now my second home.