Back Flips Are Easier than Front Flips

For years Christian has watched Benjamin do back flips on the trampoline and has listened to him tell him that back flips are easier than front flips.  He has always watched and listened with a mixture of awe and frustration.  "How can they be easier?!" he's questioned.  "They look so hard!"  He was always terrified of throwing himself backwards.  He didn't want to get hurt.  Today he was watching Peter for me and he took him out onto the trampoline.  While they were out there, Christian started letting himself flop onto his back.  He continued to do it with greater and greater force.  At one point, his legs flipped up over his head and he unintentionally nearly completed a back flip.  That's when the light came on.  He started making slight modifications to his move, one after the other, until in just a short time, he completed his first back flip without fear.  He had done it!  He came running to tell me to watch and I couldn't have been more proud.  Not because back flips are so miraculous (although they are hard), it was because when Christian has a goal, he just keeps on working.  He threatens to quit, and sometimes he does quit temporarily, but he always comes back and keeps trying.  He continued to go outside off-and-on all day to do more flips.  He was so proud of himself.  I was so happy to see him like that.  I love watching my kids work hard and achieve things.  I love the pride and joy they feel. At one point I asked him, "So do you think back flips are easier than front flips?"  "Oh, yeah!" he said.  "They're definitely easier."   My favorite part of the video, honestly though, is watching Peter bounce clear into the air and then go right back to eating pine cones.  He's completely undeterred by the fact that he's constantly bouncing.

His flip in slow motion: