Picture Perfect Panorama

by Anthony Romanelli

"C'mon, Maggie, take off your shoes, and your socks, we're gonna run through the yard barefoot."

"Why, Daddy?"

"Because the grass is nice and cool right now and it will make your toes all wiggly."

"K."

Maggie drops to her bottom, whips off "left sock, Daddy, right sock, Daddy," and stands at the screen door waiting for me to open it. I realize, however, soon she'll be whipping that door open all on her own. "C'mon, Daddy, c'mon, dinner ready soon."

"I know, I know, sweetheart."

I slide open the screen door and pudgy-toed toddler wobbles down the lone step to the patio and spins around and shines her chestnut eyes right back at me. "DADDY, c'mooooon!"

"Ok, Mags...stand on the edge of the patio, grab Daddy's hand and let's count to three together and RUN! Ready? One, two, three! Laughing and laughing, she yelps, "Daddy, grass cold!"

"I know, isn't it great?" I ask.

"Yeah!"

As she continues to run, she outstretches her arms and says, "Plane, Daddy, plane!"

"Wheeeeeeeew! Up, up and away goes Maggie Airlines!" As she is running by, I swoop her up, spin her around and listen to every giggle, crackle and giggle in her voice. Its purity makes me tear in between my laughter. I put her down and immediately she wants more, "again, Daddy."

I grab Maggie again and spin her around one, two, three, four times. Though I'm not getting dizzy, it would be wise to set her down. Equilibrium can be brutal if taken for granted. I set her down and ask, "Maggie, show Daddy how you can be a plane!"

"K, Daddy." Arms spread and pink Dora t-shirt soaking in its pinkness, Maggie looks at me, and says, "Ready, Daddy?"

"Up, up and away, Mags."

"WEEEEEEE!" Running around our willow tree, I brain-tattoo the moment-smiles from ear to ear, red-rosy cheeks, and not a care in the world.

"Maggie, let's fly around the whole house. You lead, I'll follow, ok?"

"K."

"Ready for liftoff, Mags?"

"Up, away, Daddy!" Maggie's running in front of me and I'm watching her Dora shoes light up with every step, light, step, light, step, light, step.

"To front, Daddy."

"Right behind you, sweetheart." I say.

We plane our way to the front of the house, up the driveway, down the driveway and head toward the backyard, one tiny shoe size at a time. Watching her silhouetted shadow bounce off clear blue sky, I catch up to her, swoop her up and take over as lead pilot.

"One last lap, Mags, and hold on tight, ‘cause Daddy's gonna lift you to the sun."

"K, k, Daddy."

"Up, up and what?"

"Away, Daddy!"

Lifting Maggie up to the sky and running around the willow one last time, I shoot my eyes skyward and collect moment-by-moment images of my smiling little tomboy, flying right back toward me in the world's perfect, most picturesque panorama...the eyes of my daughter in the eye of the sun...