Teetered and towered above him
As she made her way atop the rock wall
a berm to the right, no real danger there
a hand to the left, outstretched to meet hers
He steadied his tightrope walker with gentle support
Her small pink backpack in his other hand
As he made his way down the sidewalk.
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I saw this father and daughter on my way home yesterday. The scene was so tender, my heart filled with this act of support for safe risk-taking, I continued peeking at them in my side-view mirror as I drove past from the opposite side of the lane. I see so much helicopter and lawn-mowing parenting these days, not to mention the lack of outside playtime for children; this little vignette was an antidote to those worries.
"Tender" is the perfect word for this scene and the way you encapsulate it. Full of love and sweetness. I can imagine she begged to walk the wall and he said "Only if you hold tight to my hand." I like to think of it as a father supporting his daughter's dreams. :)
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