It never fails. Occasionally, and I can’t predict when, but I’ll find my father sitting next to me, looking content and calm.
My brothers and sisters and I rarely caught this side of him. But when we travel outside of the Northeast, something he did not do much because of my mother’s MS and, later, his health, I feel his presence.
The other morning, Samwise made space for Jack Ryan, and I could feel my late father settle in with us.
We were a mile into our morning hike when Samwise spied three rabbits among the mesquite, creosote, and cacti.
Sam’s got the keenest eyes of our small troop, and I don’t doubt he would have made a fine hunting dog. Alas, he ended up with an animal lover and chose a gentler path.
After a short spell, Samwise sat, as you’ve seen him do in endless photos. That meant we’d be there for a while. So, I sat behind him and watched him study the rabbits while they watched us. Emily, not one to sit all that often when out in nature, did just that. She positioned hersel…
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