She rode a pony

Emma woke up this morning with a fever, and I had stomach cramps. So like any good mother, I drove us to the zoo to meet some friends. It turned out to be a pretty good day, that is until the wind picked up to 50 mph. The big news though is that Emma rode a pony! You have to understand what a big deal this is. She has been terribly afraid of all animals since about a year old. We have been working with her on getting past this fear, and she has come a long way in the past few weeks. She has pet several dogs, fed a giraffe and today she rode a pony. It was the best $3 I ever spent! I was so proud of her. She didn't seem nervous at all. I think she was proud of herself, too. When she was done, she pet the pony and said next time she would ride the big one. Not long ago she would have been in hysterics at the sight of a dog or horse, but today Emma conquered that fear! Oh, that I had the same kind of courage to not only face my giants but turn and say "bring on the big one." Do you think in her childlike state of mind she felt empowered? Like she could face anything or do anything? Or maybe her only thought was "that pony was softer than I thought he would be." Either way, I am proud of Emma for facing her fears. I hope she doesn't start asking for a pet.