When the World Disappears

I have had several pivotal moments in my life when, for some compelling reason, the world seems to disappear. One such moment happened before Kristin and I started dating. I was invited to Kristin’s surprise birthday party by her roommates. I arrived a little early and the roommates invited me to help make a banana split for the birthday girl. The split included all of Kristin’s favorites, including gummy bears. After Kristin joined us, we sang happy birthday then we all proceeded to eat our banana splits. After I finished mine, I noticed Kristin was struggling to eat her rather large banana split. I offered to help. As soon as Kristin and I started our conversation, the world around us melted into oblivion and there were just two of us in the room. By the end of the conversation, I had invited her to go to a BYU football game with me. The rest is history. Another moment, which fits the theme for the week, happened when Derek was a young lad. Derek was just turning 3 when he and I attended a Father and Son campout. The evening festivities were fun. We enjoyed the typical campfire dinner and conversation. The next morning after breakfast, Derek and I had some free time and debated what we should do. We brought baseball gear, a soccer ball and a few other miscellaneous toys. Derek wanted to try out his new butterfly catching kit that he got for his birthday. Through adult eyes, the kit was rather flimsy and the butterfly population was unspectacular. My expectations were low, but I couldn’t resist Derek’s request. We armed ourselves with various butterfly catching equipment and struck out on our quest. Somewhere along the way, the world disappeared around us and it was just Derek and me enjoying the moment. Derek’s enthusiasm and vigor was infectious and I found myself wishing the moment would never end. These moments, along with hundreds of others, are why I cherish the titles of husband and father above all else.