Dinner with Daughter

we changed seats.
the chair was too tall and the
bench seat too low.
I'd rather be taller than her for
a change so I gave up the cushy bench
for the chair, uneven as it was on
the old floors of the Boulderado.
she is not old enough to recognize
the value of the perfect mix, the unique mix
that can makes an individual a standout.
maybe not the smartest, the one with the most drive,
maybe not the perfect communicator or the single
one with the most charisma, the most insightful,
the hardest worker, but that perfect mix
makes the top performer, the life best lived,
the most talented teacher or the most
innovative, the most adored.
she may not recognize this in herself
or that of her brother,
but I do.