Heading to pick up my 7th Grade son Jacob from Wednesday night confirmation class, I parked my car in the church parking lot on a dark January evening and waited.

Soon I saw Jacob headed out of the church. I popped out of the car and waved my arms to help him spot me. Discovering me in the sea of cars, he headed in my direction. After about five steps however, we both noticed something was wrong. He stopped in his tracks. I stopped waiving. It was not Jacob. I was not his father. I had been flagging down a random 7th Grader.

Embarrassed, he retreated to the church. I retreated back into the relative safe confines of my car. I sat and waited. More patient this time. My child would arrive soon. No need to replace him with a different teen and no need to worsen my standing as the “creepiest car in the parking lot.”