Araceli's Birthday Lunch

I think everyone has heard the story about Araceli holding the door open in the parking garage for Scott several years ago. We were staying overnight in Park City at my parents' condo and baby Freestone woke up way too early, maybe 6:00. Scott took him to the car in the basement parking garage to go for a drive. When he left in the car, he didn't notice that Araceli had followed him to the garage. Three years old, she watched him drive away, and then the garage door closed. She stood holding the door to the interior hallway open for close to an hour, waiting for Daddy to come back. I didn't even know she was gone; I was asleep. Only when Scott returned did we realize that the mighty Ari had been alone in the parking garage all that time, holding that heavy steel door. Her iron will was stronger than the door, and she steadfastly waited in the dark. We are thankful to this day that she didn't decide to walk outside and follow the car. She could have ended up on the nearby freeway or the woods or the Jordanelle Reservoir. This was the same year that we lost her at an outlet mall on the Mexican border. Keeping this free spirit safe has not been without challenges, but of course the returns are incredible. Her birthday lunch at Pepperbelly's was blessedly uneventful, the biggest danger being brainfreeze from the giant fried ice cream.

I know there are more parking garages in our future, more dangers to dodge. No matter. Ari's ingenuity and tenacity, combined with her parents' love and vigilance, will get her through. On the other side of every obstacle is another birthday, another fried ice cream, another reason to celebrate.