Unscheduled Quality Time

Monday was Martin Luther King Day, so we all had the day off. At one point, Daniel and I were off by ourselves - him playing video games on his camera [sic - a camera isn't a camera any more] and me on my laptop. Then, all of of a suddenly, he observed softly:

"This is a nice time, Daddy."

When I was in Fifth Grade, my teacher asked us if we ever had a friend that you could spend hours with -maybe riding in a car, for example - without even speaking, and yet the whole time, you're enjoying their company. More or less everyone in the class concurred that they had experienced this. I found it bizarre; how could you actually enjoy anyone's company unless you're playing street hockey outside, or shooting your ghost gun, or talking, at the very least? Of course now that I'm olde, I get it.

But what impresses me is that Daniel recognized this gift - enjoying the company of someone you love, without even needing to talk - at the tender age of six. And of course, he was right. It was a nice time.

(January 16, 2012)