Quote of the Day:

“Flowers….are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Father unbuckled his little girl and lifted her from her car seat, stealing a kiss as he eased her out. They walked into the toy store, the epicenter of that which epitomizes joy and hope and confusion with three weeks only until Christmas. His little girl, running out the clock far too rapidly on her second year, grasped his index finger firmly and exhorted him, “let’s go fast!” He lengthened his stride to keep up. Through the dolls they dashed. A wall of Dora, but no dithering. Princess dresses? No dice. “Bicycles Daddy!” The Father smiled with pride, thinking “that’s my girl” as she led him to her aisle of choice.

A tricycle was off the rack and apparently available for trying out. The little girl had never been on a tricycle. Nonetheless, she fearlessly took to the saddle. “She’s a pistol,” thought the Father. Carefully placing her feet on the pedals, the little girl then examined the pink handlebars in her clutch, revving the hand grips until they felt just right. “A natural” thought her Father. Spotting the bell, the little girl gave it a quick twist and laughed in delight at the sound, and her Father thought to himself, “doesn’t miss a thing, that one.”  The little girl smiled and the lights above flickered, then suddenly brightened. The Father could never get accustomed to this phenomenon. She looked up at her Father with an unspoken request and as the man leaned in to accommodate her and push the tricycle forward to get her started he thought, “What an adventuresome, curious child. What courage, what joie de vivre! All this and beauty too…” The little girl, still innocent, a beacon of hope in an uncertain world, child of the digital age, abruptly changed her expression and called out harshly to her Father, “NO, NO, don’t push Daddy!” A pause and then a look of confusion, a blank stare, if you will. The little girl seemed put upon at having to amplify her intent. She returned the blank stare in exasperation and pity and calmly instructed him, “Turn it on.”