Magic

Here's a little meditation for Father's Day. It's a little story that played out in the parking space across the street from where I live, visible from my kitchen window as I wash up and the scene of many dramas. You don't need a permit to park there and there are no time limits, which attracts a wide variety of drivers. Anyway...

A bloke enters my field of vision, wheeling a stroller with the kind of proud lilt that tells me he's the daddy to the cute toddler with bunches sitting in it. He stops beside a people carrier and for a brief moment he doesn't do anything. He and his little girl just look intently at the car, then at each other. Returning her gaze to the vehicle, she raises her hands before bringing them together in a dramatic, exaggerated clap. At exactly the same moment I hear the car alarm beep and the whirr and click of all its doors unlocking. The girl is shaking with laughter and looking extremely pleased with herself. She has the power to make the car obey. Just a clap and it will open. She might be small, but things will do her bidding and that makes her feel great.

How cool is that dad, to think of hiding the key fob behind his back and pressing the button at just the right moment to bring a bit of joy into something as mundane as getting into the car? He rocks. I hope he got something nice today.