Seeing the future through the eyes of a little girl

My new job has me on the road more often, the whole "road warrior" attraction is way over rated. I was in Dallas for a one day meeting. Naturally 60% of the time was spent traveling and maybe 15% to the actual order of business. Anyways, that gave me a lot of time to hang out in airports and airplanes. An incident on my evening flight back to Phoenix struck a very strong chord with me and gave me a glimpse into my future role as a father.

I as I was boarding the plane I noticed a Hispanic family. Their lack of English proficiency was evident as they struggled to get through the gate. I came to their aid and helped them out, communicating to the stewardess their needs and helping them get seats next to each other. The father was very grateful and he quickly introduced me to his wife and beautiful young daughter. I soon found out that they were from the Honduras and that they were visiting family in Phoenix. Well, we all boarded the plane and, as luck would have it, I was assigned a seat directly behind them.

The flight took off and the first hour was pretty uneventful. I was trying to do some reading when I noticed a small pair of eyes staring at me, it was the little hindering girl. I quickly met her glance with a smile and we were soon making faces at each other. This continued for the next several minutes. Her mom noticed and gave us a warm smile. Soon as was sharing some candy with her and we talked. She told me a little about her family and her city. She had the most beautiful smile that made the flight worthwhile.

At the end of the flight I couldn't help but think about our upcoming baby girl. In a few months I will be experiencing a joy that will make this airplane encounter pale in comparison. I will be the father to a beautiful baby girl. I cannot wait to forge a bound with her and provide her with the guidance she will need. That little playful girl from the Honduras gave me a small glimpse of the bliss and joy that comes with raising kids. That kind of happiness is immeasurable and cannot come from any other source.