I found myself waiting.  Waiting by the phone.  Staring at the clock.

One kid would soon call to be picked up from church.  Another kid would need to be picked up from basketball.  Only one of me.

Tick-tock.

From the house, 10 minutes to church.  Then 20 minutes from church to basketball.  7:30 was the event horizon.  After that point, there would be no way to get to church, then to basketball without me being late.

Tick-tock.

7:30.  Decision time.  No possible win.  The Kobayashi Maru of Parenting.  I would have to select from a set of bad options.

Tick-tock.

I took flight.  Worst case, I could wait outside basketball and retrieve that kid early and only be slightly late picking up the kid at church.

Tick-tock.

7:40.  Driving.  Text received.  Red light.  Glance at phone.  Kid at church ready.  Light green.  Proceed toward basketball.  Flurry of texts.  Another light.  Seems as if people are concerned about my whereabouts.  Inform kid at church that I am headed to basketball to pick up that kid.  Light green.  Another flurry of texts.  Behind a slow car that of course has the ironic license plate number “474 RUN.”

Tick-tock.

7:50.  Pull into school parking lot for basketball pick up.  Look at phone.  Everyone seems concerned that I cannot pull this off.  Inform everyone that I have it under control.  Slight exaggeration, but all will be fine.

Tick-tock.

Take basketball kid out of practice early.  Apologize a lot.  Text that I am now headed to church.

Tick-tock.

Lesser flurry of texts.  Red light.  Seems as if people are settling down.  Get behind a different slow car that is driving 5 MPH under the speed limit, of course.

Tick-tock.

8:15.  Pull into church parking lot.  Second kid enters car.  He was obviously the last kid picked up.  I ask when the second-to-the-last kid was picked up.  He responds, “Twenty minutes ago.”  I look sad and a little in shock.  He continues with a grin, “Just kidding.  They were picked up about two minutes ago.”

Ah,  a mere two minutes from mission success.  In this case, success would have been either one kid picked up early or one kid picked up late.  Instead, the final score was one picked up early and one picked up late.  A mere 120 seconds.  The difference between accepting the limits of space and time and accomplishing something truly amazing.

Being a dad ain’t easy, especially when the clock is against you.

Tick-tock.