It was a summer afternoon, the sun beating down in an otherwise unbearable fashion, made tolerable only by the solicitude of the cool breeze, limited shade under an old oak tree, and the constant distraction of a two year old. A father and his daughter sat on what was once a neatly squared blanket, now edges flipped in the breeze and scattered with dirt from Sophie’s perfectly cute, yet filthy, toes. Intended to be an afternoon picnic, she was only satisfied with partaking in a multitude of activities. Attempts were made to climb the oak tree, eat a leaf that had slowly descended from above, and even catch an ant that had found its way onto the blanket with intent to acquire a piece of cheese or a crumb from the picnic basket. Sophie had been developing rapidly, both physically and mentally, grasping for any new experience she could induce or coax from her environment. Her father simultaneously held in his being both a strong desire to satisfy Sophie’s exploding curiosity as well as his own exhaustion.

Now that snack time was done, they moved onto play. Sophie loved dolls and a wide variety of toys, so her father brought along two of her favorite dolls, one rattle toy, and a small set of shape linking blocks. Laid out on the blanket, she began setting the dolls up in an arrangement that appeared to form a circle with her and her dad, though one was face down, and the other had its leg in what was clearly an precarious position. The rattle toy was ignored; a fragment of the past, only brought along due to her father’s fond memories it brought with it. The linking blocks, however, had potential. They were not only unique, one from the next, but also able to be assembled to form new shapes that Sophie couldn’t ordinarily imagine. Her father reached down and handed a hexagonal shaped linking block to Sophie that had rolled off to the side of the blanket. Sophie looked at it inquisitively, determining whether it was special in some way, thus explaining why her father handed her that particular piece. In the same way she provided her dolls a toy, and her father provided her with one, she in turn gave it back to her father, not knowing why or what would happen next.

It was at this point her father immediately knew what was happening, a lesson he’d learned long ago, as he yet again handed the block back to Sophie. She giggled in amusement, and gave it back to her father. There was no reason for her to give up the toy, and she had never seen her father show an interest in playing with her toys, but deep down she felt compelled to continue what resembled a game. The act somehow connected her to her father and felt like the right thing to continue doing. This back and forth echoed on in what was the attestation of reciprocity, in both the form of generational learning passed down by her father, as well as a subtle affirmation of a desire that seemed to emerge from within her. It was in this moment that Sophie had learned of a new way to connect with her father, to others, a way in which she would, in time, revere.