in the dad department

I lean through the doorframe and discover him in the rocking chair, propped against the pillow with Baby in his lap, tossing books to the floor one by one as he reaches "the end." We smile at each other for a moment and then go on about our duties. Later he puts Baby in his crib for a rest, turns on the noise machine and quietly shuts the door to his room, following the same routine we've set with him. Caring for an infant is not the only neural connection he seems to have forged by watching his father, but he does have a really good example in the dad department.

Andy is facile and generous, and very smart, but never concerned with proving it. He is behind the scenes and on the sidelines, coloring time with his kids in cheerful shades. He passes along important life skills, like how to keep good knives sharpened, and models quality attributes, demonstrating gentleness as the ultimate strength. It is, isn't it? And somehow Hank already seems to understand.