It happened one day.
My daughter and I were in the car... serious-faced- she asked,
"Dad, Life's good for you, right?"
I was about to answer philosophically when she added, "I mean... better than most cereals?"
I was prompted by Gregory Lohr to share that snippet. It was from my comment on his blog post "The Not So Sweet Truth" which is based on this: Consumer Reports Investigates Sugar in Cereal.
Still. It begs the philosophical question... Life is good for you, right? The short answer, is yes... life is good. In fact- very good. Let me illustrate:
We have a family tradition that's called "Daddy Daughter". It's a large umbrella label for any event in which I'm able to spend time with my daughters. It may be planned well in advance and include somewhat elaborate elements or it may be just a quick trip to the store.
I suppose everyone knows about father-and-son bonding... but I'm not sure the uninitiated is aware of how fathers feel about their daughters. We're protective... and proud. Our daughters make us want to live up to their high expectations of us... and though they have the power to manipulate us, I'm sure they tend to use this power for good.
Our latest daddy-daughter adventure was hurried. It was a camp-out to the Rim Country, northeast of Payson, Arizona. We left late in the afternoon and arrived after dusk. There were other dads and daughters there... this is one of those more elaborate events- it involved a good portion of the neighborhood.
When you leave the city lights the stars take over. For my seven year old, this was the brightest sky she'd ever witnessed. She saw the big dipper with a clarity that she had not been able to appreciate at any other time in her life.
We talked about the north star and how it was used to guide travelers. When one beholds the universe, it is only natural to ask the big questions. Not about breakfast cereals... but about our place in the world.
It wasn't until sunrise that we realized how beautiful the surroundings were. I would describe it... but hey... come to Arizona and see for yourself. We're not all desert you know. We have some stunning mountain tops and a canyon that some have described as grand.
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We left the mountains at mid-day. WHY?! Well... the girls wanted to get back in time to meet Brook White. [She made it to the top five on American Idol.] She's from Mesa- the place we call home. She was appearing at Milano's Music in Mesa, to sign autographs. I had warned my girls that the line could be long and that there was a good chance that we wouldn't arrive there in time. Undaunted we pressed on.
Yes... sadly, my forecast was true. We arrived just in time for the official to tell my three daughters that there was just no way for them to meet Brooke... otherwise, she would be late for her sound check. She would be performing later that evening for a free concert.
Life is that way sometimes. The line is drawn right in front of you.
One woman, witnessing my three daughters, said "This is just breaking my heart... girls... get back in line." It was Brooke's mother... she is as gracious a person as you could ever meet. Thanks to her kindness, my girls were able to meet her daughter- one of thier idols.
That's the other thing I wanted to tell you about.
You see... There's this bond between mothers and daughters ... and they....
ahhhhh... I'll save that for another post. :-)
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Chuck Willman is a real estate agent based in Arizona. He's the father of six (one son & five daughters.)
Reach Chuck at 480.292.0600 or online www.AZvest.com
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