I think he’s proud.

I put down my camera for a minute and leaned  over to ask my Dad the pressing question:

“When you bought Joanna her harp 7 years ago, did you have any idea the opportunities it would bring her and the many things she would do with it?”

At that, the next scene began in Community Bible Church’s annual “Carols By Candlelight” and I was moving around to get the best angle on the angels (I’ve always wanted to say that) and Dad never did get a chance to answer me. I was an audience member, listening to my sister play glissando after glissando on her harp. But I was an active audience member, taking pictures with my latest toy.

Later on, though, Dad answered me. And even better than I expected.

“No more than I could’ve anticipated the outcome of one trip to Statesville to buy a Pentax K-1000 out of the newspaper classifieds ten years ago so my daughter could learn how to take pictures with a real camera!”

Touche, Father. Touche!

So while my sister played in the professional orchestra and I took pictures with my newest lens (it weighs AT LEAST 5 pounds, by the way – no exaggeration – and costs four times as much as my first DSLR did), my Dad got to sit back, watch his girls excel at what they love, and take at least partial credit for their endeavors.

I think he was proud.

And I don’t blame him.