'Seeing everything through her eyes for the first time, it’s beautiful': Dad and daughter bike, play piano in Oak Bay
When Alex started cycling today, he never expected to do something he’d never done before.
“It was really about taking some fresh air,” he says. “And enjoying this beautiful day.”
He enjoys just being on his bike with a compartment attached to the front for his baby, Amber, to ride in.
“It’s the most wonderful thing to be with her,” Alex smiles.
To see how she not only responds to the world around her, but his face above her.
“She’s trying to replicate the [expressions] that I’m doing,” Alex smiles, showing how he looks when he’s exerting himself up a hill and how Amber attempts to scrunch her face to copy him. “It’s cute.”
It’s like she’s watching a compelling movie on the big screen. But instead of popcorn, Amber snacks on her sunglasses.
“It’s an adventure for her,” Alex says. “And it’s a good time for me.”
But then — like a movie — an unexpected twist occurs.
“It’s actually the first time,” Alex says after noticing a brightly painted public piano in a green space overlooking the ocean. “I didn’t see that before.”
It’s an opportunity to do something new together.
“It’s kind of cute how she sees the sound and figures out what’s going on,” Alex says as Amber holds on to her dad’s hand while he plays a series of songs on the keyboard.
Unlike Simon and Garfunkel, this song-writing team has no troubled water to bridge. Unlike Jagger and Richards, they got satisfaction. More like Lennon and McCartney, Alex and Amber are composing ‘A Day in the Life.’
“Seeing everything through her eyes for the first time, it’s beautiful,” Alex says before gently tapping his daughter’s nose and kissing her hand.
And when it’s time to go home on their bike, Alex will smile with gratitude for the moments they shared. Amber will respond by raising a bare foot in the air. Dad will smile again. Daughter, encouraged, will grab another handful of toes, which will only make him smile more. And combined with an unexpected bump in the road, Amber will break into a big smile, bursting with joy.
“There’s many things that are complicated in life,” Alex says. “But the simple things are the ones we really enjoy and keep memories for a long time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.