While walking by the large mirrored bedroom cabinet that holds our sweaters and other garments, I spied the corner of an unfamiliar dark object on top. I reached up and pulled down an old framed picture that had  been gathering dust for several years.

It was a picture I have been searching for: a hand drawn birthday gift from my daughter to me when she was 6 years old. She is now 17.

What the picture celebrates is one of our pleasantest memories: our almost-nightly walks (during good weather) along the wooded creek near our house.

The low brown fence shown here is actually large brown timbers supported every few feet by similar columns, and very low to the ground.

I always encouraged my daughter to step up and walk, balancing, along the curved timbers. This she did without fear from a very early age. Is this one of the reasons she is now a strong and fearless young woman?

I would like to think so, but whatever contribution that made to her current personality, my  memory is still of those regular father-daughter walks and the pleasant times we had together.