Counter-Weight

I've been a little heavy on the negative side of things, so perhaps a little balancing is apropos.

I thoroughly enjoy being a father. In spite of all the "work" and such, it's absolutely wonderful to be chased around the back yard by a two-year-old pirate. I also love giving dinosaur rides--similar to horsy rides, but they usually end in a faux mauling.

Would I even have bothered to read any of the Harry Potter books were it not for my daughter? Can I be more proud than when she reads a new book to me? The other day, she asked me why it gets warmer in the Spring, hot in the Summer, cooler in the Autumn, and cold in the Winter. I told her about the Earth, it's solar revolution and it's tilted axis. She thought about it a moment and then confessed that she did indeed seem to feel that she was leaning a bit more ever since the season had changed, and she wondered if this might make learning to ride her bike more difficult.

I don't think that I can possibly think about my children without smiling. Strangely enough, no matter what I'm smiling at, I can't help but think instantly of them.

Is there anything more perfect then the face of a happy child? Perhaps, if that child is sitting on a pile of gold and precious jewels...