“I’m learning about molecules in science,” my daughter says.
I can feel my heart quicken, the opening I need to discuss something I’m passionate about coming to the fore. She’s prompted it; she knows what she’s done. Time to capitalize! “Really!? That’s awesome!” I say, my excitement as bright as the Oklahoma sun.
Our legs are tired, our mouths dry, sweat accumulating in rivulets. We’ve walked way past the 10,000-step mark they recommend. My daughter was keen on mentioning that it feels like it. Doesn’t slow her down though; her smile is evidence enough that she’s enjoying this. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
I wait, hoping for more, wanting to extract what she knows. Her silence tells me she ain’t ready to describe it, or she wants me to. I take the bait. “Well, so, molecules are made up of individual particles, little guys that make it all happen.”
She nods, staring at the ground as she walks, either focused on concentrating or the myriad array of insects scattered along the trail.
I press on, “Yea, so you’ve got protons, the positively charged particles. They don’t like to be smushed together—” I collide into her to demonstrate how two positive things would be repulsed. It’s a bad example; we’re bonding.
She gets the point though. Her small laugh tells me so. I continue, “Anyways, they need to have these little guys called neutrons to sort of … glue them together! Now these guys are simple to remember. You’ve got protons being positive. Pro: positive. Whereas neutrons are—”
“Neutral!” She exclaims, eager to show she understands.
I can’t help but smile. My kid is one smart cookie. I carry on, “Well, there’s another thing to balance all this out: electrons. These guys are negatively charged and orbit around the nucleus of protons and neutrons.” I pause to see if she’s still with me. I used the word nucleus after all. To be fair, I’m holding my fists together to demonstrate the concept.
Her contemplative nod and unbroken stride tell me she’s still with me.
Now comes the tricky part. I’ve got to convey the complexity of elemental structure and bonding. “So, everything wants to find an equilibrium.” My hands are reaching outwards like I’m some preacher—basked in sunlight—at the height of their sermon. “So, what these particles do… is search for other electrons to share in order to fill their outer shells.”
I’ve lost her. I don’t blame her; I kind of jumped over half a semester of advanced education.
I try a different tactic, “Think of it like this! You’ve got these electrons orbiting around the nucleus and they balance out the charge of the protons. But you could have more electrons orbiting. Take oxygen for example; it’s got six electrons in its outermost ring. THAT keeps it balanced, but the fact that you can fit two more in that orbit means it’s… lopsided.”
She’s back. It’s not the best or even the most 100% accurate description, but it’ll suffice.
“So, these particles look for partners to fill in the gaps. Hydrogen has one electron. Two of these hydrogens like to bond with oxygen to fill that outer circle. H2O!”
Rex, our dog, jaunts down to the river, tired of the heat and oblivious to his age. He overdid it and now he’s forcing us to watch him drink from the nearly dry riverbed. Probably some ancient disease buried in that mud, but I ain’t gonna stop him. He’s an animal and it’s in his nature.
She looks at me, the word water at the cusp. But she’s uncertain.
“Water!” we shout, her voice just a millisecond behind.
“So, those little guys and their search for balance is what makes all of this—” I sweep my hand around the nature reserve. A lush green paradise tucked away in the heart of a city. “—possible.” A bird chirps and I point towards it. “Makes THAT possible…”
“Bro went on a whole science lesson,” she teases.
I ignore the ‘bro’; I’m her dad after all. She’s just teasing and besides, she’s got a broad, genuine smile. One of those you only see in those rare moments of genuine awe and happiness. No sense in messin’ that up.
I smile—probably wider than her—and we trudge along in silence. “Thanks for listening,” I say.
She smiles and I see in those eyes that it’s all gonna be okay.
As I sit here writing about our latest hike, I realize that she prompted me for that ‘lesson’; she always does whenever we go on those hikes. I think it’s one of her favorite things to do. Now, I don’t know if it’s because she likes to hear me get enthusiastic about something or if she wants to learn about the delicate balance of the universe, or maybe both. But I ain’t gonna question it, because it’s also one of my favorite things to do:
Take a walk through nature, talk to someone you love, and just enjoy life… step by step.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, why don’t you come on over and check out my books. Click the link below for details.
Leave a comment