Finding Momentum

It was all rather embar­rass­ing. I was on the BART yes­ter­day rid­ing back from SF to Berke­ley, and the rid­ers and I couldn’t take our eyes off this dad and his kid with bright blonde hair (who couldn’t have been more than eight) just hav­ing a ball.

It was all rather sweet; the dad would wrap the kid up in his arms (to the child’s squeal­ing cha­grin) and nuz­zle him in tight. “D Major, how about D Major?”

The child would strug­gle against his dad’s arms. “G!”

“F Sharp!” replies the dad, “Okay, you’re free.” He releases the kid, who runs for­ward and promptly bonks his head into the oppo­site seat back. Then that kid would laugh for a good long while. “F Sharp!” he’d cry and col­lide back into his dad’s chest.

Dad would wrap his arms tight around his boy and they’d con­tinue the drill. “Mixoly­dian!” the dad would say.

“Mixoly­dian!” the boy would reply and he’d be set free, charg­ing for­ward knock­ing him­self into the seat back, beset by the giggles.

“Para­did­dle!” the dad would cry. “Paradiddle!”

Loud kissy noises ensued. Agh, it was too much (in a rather embar­rass­ing, syrupy-sweet way). I couldn’t take my eyes off of the sight.

May your fam­i­lies enjoy that same love in this hol­i­day sea­son. May you know the love (and the music) of our Father this Christ­mas time.