At first sight

Amazing things happen to people in the presence of a child. Though this phenomenon is difficult to describe, you can't miss it with your eyes.

My brother-in-law is a man of adventure whose world travels from the frozen mountains of Iceland to the hills of Florence to the vast wilds of Yosemite will someday make for an enthralling novel. A seasoned software engineer and mountain climber, he bears a broad and balanced palette of expertise in technology, wilderness, and culture.

He became an Uncle for the first time when my daughter was born. This is a sketch of the moment when, after months of anticipation and a long cross-country flight, he held her for the first time.

In getting to know these two as individuals, it strikes me that they both have a a knack for discovering what's "out there." My daughter will climb, burrow, and tumble through any physical space that's available to her to quench her thirst for exploration. Hans could not be a better Uncle with whom to share that thirst. I can't wait to see the adventures they'll have together.

Until then, may their bond continue to blossom in that special kind of tenderness that exists between Uncle and Niece; the kind that begins at first sight.