"I just can't get it, Dad!" The seven year old Tenzin shouted in frustration, plopping down on the grass at his feet to pick at the strands. Tenzin and his father had been drilling basic airbending forms all afternoon, but no matter how much Tenzin tried, he couldn't seem to produce one single gust. He had mastered his footwork with relative ease, but as soon as it was the time to put that footwork into action and 'become one with his ancestors', he fell flat on his face.
Aang sighed. "I had hoped this change in scenery would help you along but I guess I was I wrong", Aang said, referring to the grassy plane that was the Republic City park. He had taken Tenzin here hoping that the clean air and calming chirping of the birds would help his son get past the block he was having with his training. Normally they would have stayed at the training area on Air Temple Island, but even being around the place only seemed to increase Tenzin's anxiety.
Aang picked up his staff from the ground and popped it into its glider mode. "What do you say you and I take a break for now and see if we can't pester your mother into making us something for lunch, huh?"
He walked over to Tenzin and was about to help his youngest son to his feet but stopped when he heard a soft sobbing coming from the young 'monk'.
"Tenzin?" Aang questioned, his voice filled with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Why is it so hard? I'll never get it!" Tenzin declared, quite discouraged.
Aang got down to his sons level. "Yes you will. You just need to give it time. Ba sing se wasn't built in a week."
"But there's so much for me to learn! I want to make you proud. I want to be just as good as you and the airbending masters you tell me stories about! I want to be as good as the people expect the son of the Avatar to be! But I'll never be good enough!"
Aang wiped the tears from his sons eye's and adjusted his slightly chubby face so that he was looking him in the eye. "You make me more proud than you know. And I want you to stop holding yourself up to other people's standards. The only things you need to worry about is making your mother and me proud. But as I have already said, you do a pretty good job of that already."
"But what about the other airben-"
"You don't need to worry about them, Tenzin." Aang interrupted. "They are gone and there is nothing we can do to bring them back. But just you being alive, you being your own little miracle, is more than I could ever wish for. And I know if they were here, they would be proud to call you their brother. And I know how long and rough the road may seem right now but it will get better. And yes, there will be times when you stumble but me, your mother, your brother, and even that 'frog faced' sister of yours will always be there to pick you up. Always."
Tenzin's spirits seemed to brighten "Really?"
Aang scooped up Tenzin in his arms. "Yes indeed", Aang confirmed. "Now what do you say after lunch we see if we can't whip up a fruit pie or two and try to chuck them at your uncle?"
Tenzin giggled and nodded enthusiastically in reply.
"Well alright then! Let's hurry home!" Aang declared.
Needless to say that not only was that the day that Tenzin got past his block, but the day that Suki had to spend the rest of her evening cleaning a blockage of fruit filling from her husband's ears.
