The Most Rewarding Moment In Parenting History

If you have kids, you are used to weird stuff happening. In fact, weird becomes the norm after awhile. Lights get left on that were never on before. Strange half-filled cans of pop start appearing around the house. As if 12 fluid ounces couldn't possibly be consumed in one sitting, and certainly no one would ever think to revisit the previously opened can next time they are thirsty. Better get a new one.

You make friends with people who you would never otherwise hang out with. You take  phone calls from strange numbers, make doctors appointments, and volunteer for things that were just a few years ago completely foreign to you. Now, suddenly, you're "Coach" or "Snack-Dad" or "Car Pool Mom."

And you turn around to find that in what seems like seconds, it's over. They don't need "Snack-Dad" on college visits. You don't need to make dinner for four because one already ate, and the other is eating in between school activities and a job. Pizza for me and my wife, then?

So with all this feverish looking around, and trying to reach back to a simpler time, a moment shone through my confused, busy life and set everything right. For today at least.

Katie comes up to me today, and out of the blue, declares that 'Dream On' by Aerosmith is her all-time favorite song (narrowly edging out some Nick Jonas tune of her all-time top 5) Coming from a kid whose iPod is filled with artists and musical styles I am ashamedly unfamiliar, this was a beautiful moment. As if to show she understood the impact, she then cranks it up to 11, and we sit there and listen to the windows vibrate.

Dream On indeed.