On my desk there spins a block of glass, glowing blue, then green, then red. Inside the glass is the ghostly shape of a tree and words that you might find in a greeting card:

DAD

You are a
source of strength,
a teacher and a guide.
You are the one
that’s looked up to,
with loving trust
and pride.

It’s one of those sentimental, one-size-fits-all gifts that you find in the hallways of shopping malls in a kiosk next to Cell-Phone City and the Piercing Pagoda. It was a Christmas gift from my children, which means that it was a Christmas gift from my wife.

When I opened it, I was happy. Not because it was the gift I had secretly always wanted, but because of the look on my kids’ faces as I opened it. They were happy to see their daddy open his present, but were absolutely thrilled that they’d made it so long without letting slip what it would be.

My wife asked the question a bit hesitantly, “Do you like it?”Continue Reading