Picture-perfect moments last
Mark Pavilons

As the tiny skaters hit the ice, I searched frantically for the bear who belonged to me.

I spotted him quickly - I guess his head was unusually large for a teddy bear on skates.

He smiled as he found our faces in the sea of parents in the stands. As the saying goes, "priceless."

I swallowed quickly, fighting off the emotions. What can I say, I'm getting soft in my middle years (as well as soft in the middle).

During rehearsal, Liam received several thumbs-up from dear old dad. These little beings need encouragement, as much as they need food and water. To him, a simple gesture of love and pride is all the fuel he needs in his tiny tank, to keep him going for days. Happy to oblige, buddy.

He didn't really grasp the complexity and scope of the Bolton Skating Club's spring production - a massive undertaking. He also didn't know that anyone else in the world was watching, other than his own family members.

When he hit the ice for the Saturday night spectacle, I'm sure he was amazed by the lights and what I like to call "organized mayhem."

He was quite impressed with his tail, an extension he wiggled frantically during and after the show. I honestly think he wants one, but that has something to do with a reference I made about the theory of evolution recently.

When my not-so-little first-born princess emerged, I smiled broadly. Her outfit reminded me of a Christmas poem, but her attire was unimportant. Her smile said it all.

I know she was going over the steps in her mind for weeks, in anticipation of the big show. When I watched her intently, I could see her mouthing the routine under her breath. She wanted to be perfect and meticulous.

What she may not realize is she's our precious cargo, regardless of her performance. During photos, some parents remarked Lexie looked like me, while others (perhaps more accurately) mentioned she has Kim's features. I've been called a lot of things in my life, but "pretty" was never one of them! And what girl wants to look like her father anyway?

Fortunately, our combined genes produced some fine-looking offspring. The trick is to guide them properly so they turn out to be kind, compassionate, giving human beings. I think we're on the right track.

During the show Saturday night, we weren't the only ones smiling from ear to ear. I think there were some proud parents and grandparents whose cheeks got a good workout that night. The missteps and falls were overlooked because they won't be burned into memories. What remains are sights, sounds and the glowing embers deep inside, that will carry us, and provide fuel in our big tanks, for weeks to come.

While these brief moments may seem meaningless to outsiders, perhaps life is just a collection of snapshots - of picture-perfect instances frozen in time, burned in our minds.

Think about it. If you search your mind for impressive past occurrences, only a handful will come to mind. But those will be quite vivid - unforgettable.

I don't recall much of my early childhood. Things that do stand out are several "Kodak" moments to be sure.

And such is the life of a parent of young children.

Each day presents many, many challenges. And the weeks in the arena leading up to the carnival could be chalked down to parental duty.

While I'm still learning about the whole parenting thing (do we ever stop learning?), I do realize the sense of duty and willingness to go above and beyond for our children.

Liam wants a baby brother, but we've convinced him a puppy might be a better choice. We tell him the fact he's both a big and little brother to his sisters is quite an amazing thing, one that comes with great responsibility.

Considering he loved wagging his costumed tail, I think we'll leave the role model explanation for a latter date.

When I look into the eyes of my children, they cast a spell on me. It's like they have the power to heal. They make all my troubles vanish temporarily.

During the show Saturday night, there was more than one occasion when my eyes welled up (I think it was the smoke machine). To many of those little ones on the ice, that performance meant the world to them and was the culmination of months of hard work. For all of us at that stretch of time, the world could have ended outside the arena and it wouldn't have mattered.

What mattered were those tiny feet, flapping wings, wiggling tails and smiles of pride.

Talk about priceless moments!