Peter

called me out of the blue, introduced himself as a neighbor and parent. Our sons would start grade school together in the fall and thought a Carpool might be good. He made me laugh, and my world got bigger and brighter at that moment. That's the gift of Children.

He's also a fellow Little League Dad, and those bonds run deep. Like "Soccer Moms," we share logistical responsibilities but also carry the Baseball-Burden. The game is infused with our childhoods, freshly cut grass, the smell of a mitt, our Fathers.

Sometimes, we walk through our neighborhood at night. Silhouetted neighbors behind sheer curtains, winding down for the evening, the crisp air bathed in Hopperesque light. All create a spell, a sense of travel, an expansion in perspective. It's an invitation to openness and reflection. Peter is always willing to go there. Like me, Peter is an ape that talks, thankfully.

He fights the good fight, always searching for historical context to make sense of any dilemma we may face. Time spent with him is transformative, and at the end of a five-mile jaunt, we digest Dinner. Who says that we can't multi-task? "Yes" is the most powerful word in my vocabulary because it can create a carpool and a #portraitofafriend