by Dennis Augustine
“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.”
— Boris Pasternak
Four years ago today, I experienced one of those unexpected gifts.
After Michelle and Kyle visited, our conversation turned to bicycling. Kyle had recently bought Michelle a Trek bike, and when I mentioned how much I’d love to ride with her someday, he happily offered to watch the kids.
The next day, Michelle and I set off on a 15-mile ride along the Los Gatos Creek Trail. It was our first bike ride together as adults—and our first uninterrupted father-daughter outing in years.
As I glanced back and saw Michelle riding behind me, I felt both grateful and emotional. The last time we had ridden together, she was a toddler in a child seat on the back of my bicycle.
That ride became a treasured memory, and we both promised we’d do it again. Thank you, Kyle, for making that special day possible.
Sometimes life’s greatest gifts aren’t planned—they simply find us. As a middle aged mother of three, she's still my little angel
