Benjamin joined me on the crack-of-dawn walk with Ruby this morning. We were taking the time to notice the color of the leaves, how chilly the fall morning was, and the size of a nearby mushroom, when Ben asked a question.

“Dad… what does Dad mean?”

I paused for a second, and then answered with a question.

“What does Dad mean to you?”

Without skipping a beat, Benjamin answered: “Work.”

Then he paused for a second, and explained, “…because you’re always working.”

He need not have explained. His first answer already was a dagger to my Fun Dad psyche, but it simultaneously made me cherish the walk twice as much as when it started.