The picture...

Let me tell you about the picture I'm not going to post.

But to tell you about it, I have to give you a little background.

My dad is a guy's guy. From top to bottom. He loves to hunt, camp in crazy weather, ride horses, and be outdoors. And he has two daughters. Now, I've always said that it was good that I didn't have a brother, because if I had, I think he would have been the one encouraged to tag along with my dad. As it was, he had to "settle" for us girls - and never told us that there were "girl things" or "boy things". I loved it, and felt very lucky that my dad trusted us to learn to be tough.

But there was always a part of me that felt bad that my dad didn't have a son who enjoyed doing all the things he did.

Flash forward twenty years.

This weekend the boys and I went down to my parents' house to hang out. One of the eternal chores on their 40 acres is changing irrigation pipe - hauling large lengths of metal pipe from one part of the field to another to keep the grass green in the high desert heat. I hated doing it as a kid. But this weekend I strapped Luke in the ergo, Max tossed on the ever-present rain boots, and we headed out to join my parents in the field.

With Luke on, I was useless. But Max was desperately excited to help. Running everywhere that Papa went, he learned to lift the latches and hook them in place, and then move on to the next pipe. By the end he was working hard at carrying one end while Papa carried the other. Both were grinning ear to ear.

And when I turned from a conversation with my mom to watch them across the field, my heart did that little stutter step. The one that says, "Remember this. Just like this. Forever."

There it was - my perfect picture. My Dad with his boy - my son - working their way across the pasture. They have the same posture - upper bodies leaned forward, with arms barely moving, long steps. Faces fixed in looks of focused determination. Totally in sync in both body and heart.

I didn't have my camera with me. So this one my heart had to take. And the best part? The picture in my head is always perfectly in focus. There forever.