Firsts are special and memorable; we celebrate when our children take their first steps and say their first words. I have mental snapshots of the look of glee on each of my children’s faces when they learned to ride a bicycle, a rite of passage toward maturing independence.
We often wonder where we went wrong with our children, when in essence we never went right. Chazal tell us the formula for success has three ingredients: First, children must consistently feel that their parents love them. Second, we must daven that Hashem grant us success in raising them properly. Finally, we must be loving and passionate examples of a life of Torah and mitzvos.