| Dear John, It was early morning and the sun cast rays of light against the wall in my office. I sat down on my favorite chair and signaled for Wednesday, our black and gray tabby, to join me on my lap. As I settled into the seat, she jumped up and started to purr while kneading my shoulder. It’s a ritual we’ve shared ever since I brought her home nearly a year ago and when she does it, I feel like she’s infusing me with peace and contentment. Wednesday is the perfect meditation partner. As I took several deep breaths, I focused on the sounds coming from the open window next to us. A red-winged blackbird called to her pals letting them know breakfast was ready at the feeder. Wood bees buzzed around the rafters covering the deck. Wind, rustling the leaves of the old oak trees that line the field, seemed to be offering a soft lullaby from Mother Nature herself. Today is going to be a beautiful day, I thought to myself as I enjoyed our morning reverie. That’s when I remembered it was Father’s Day. All the cards over the years. The visits. The lunches and conversations about his life. As hard as it is to no longer have my Dad with me in physical form, I feel him near me every time I think of him and I let the conversations continue. I imagine him sitting next to me, on the other side of a thin veil, looking like a big, burly guardian angel ready to listen. This morning I tell him some of what I intend to remember as the doors of life open up and the world presses in. Less is more. Simple is better. Silence holds magic. Community is key. And “No, thank you” is the language of a Queen. Queen. I smile when I remember his nickname for me while I was growing up. I haven’t thought of that in years. Leave it to Dad to know back then what took me so many decades to finally figure out. Happy Father’s Day to all the angels out there! Love,
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