MJ and I were in St. Louis the other day and had dinner at our favorite restaurant Bartolinos. Our regular server knew us and remembered what sauce I wanted on my Tutto Mare. I was surprised that the little things make a difference. What seemed simple made me feel at home.

Hurricane Helene has caused a massive swath of devastation. Eastern Tennessee has been hit hard, a region we have visited too many times to count. Before Maine, it was our Maine. Trees are uprooted due to so much rain that the roots have become untethered to their home. It is raining now.

I saw my buddy Jeff’s photo at Fenway Park…I will see him and Margo soon. Wherever they are they light up the room.

We all have the gift. We do not think about it or acknowledge it but it is there.

MJ and I have been making doctor’s visits to St. Louis for over 10 years. I can not describe the feeling of peace and happiness each time we receive a good report. I announce it to the Brooks Men immediately! The News is a bigger jolt than Christmas! We appeared one cold day and cried lustily when the doctor slapped our bare butt. We did not know why we were here or who would make up our world…but we knew we wanted to stay awhile…

As I sit at the Writing Porch the mystery of existence overwhelms me. I can hear the rain I can smell the rain…I feel the contentment of The Gift.

I have friends who I do not see any longer but they are in my heart. They enter my thoughts regularly. Sometimes they knock… often they just sit down in the Great Room of my life and smile.

It is good to remember. It is calming to listen to the rain. What is next we ask…we are not ready to leave…we have just begun…