Peanut Butter and Bikes

Life is complicated. Its hard to be cynical, if you have any perspective. I think the saying goes along the lines of, "I wept for need of shoe's, until I saw a man with no feet"(somewhere in the bible. I think).

You can find joy anywhere in life. All you have to do is look. Likewise, sorrow is in high demand. The longer I spin on this marble, the more my perspective changes. What was once important, is now of little value.

I have always put a premium on friendship. And Peanut Butter. Both of which have served me well. The other stuff, well that's where the shift comes in. Family. And I don't want to say that I have devalued family lo these many years; rather I have come to appreciate family all the more so. Every moment with my children is, to me, a sacred stolen moment. A moment I will never forget, and never get back. Every hug. Every laugh. All stolen.

Like so many Dad's before and after me, I got to watch my little girl ride a bike sans-training wheels for the first time. And like any dad who was paying attention or filled with pride, I was blown away. Not so much by the accomplishment, but from the sheer joy and pride; the genuine mirth and giddiness my child displayed as she realized that she was riding on her own. If life had a pause button, I'm wearin it out. Right there on that smile. That, for me was good stuff. For in that one fleeting instant, I was one, maybe two peanut butter crackers away from perfection.