He sits across the table from me poking at his brother’s side. He’s six feet tall, with facial hair and deep tones in his voice. Yet, there in that breath I see the toddler, teasing his brother into frustration.

He brushes his brother’s hand away with a smile and a chuckle. He isn’t as easily irritated by his antics as he might have been even a year ago. He knows his tricks so well.

The moment is over quickly. Moving on to the shopping list. With gratitude for the sort of noticing of how time both passes and pauses outside of my control. But the noticing is mine to command.