It was Sunday, June 14, 1998, that I found a large feather on a rock bed in our back yard. Because of my attendance at a recent retreat on Grief where I heard numerous folks talking about feathers and asking each other, "Did you find a feather?" I knew the feather had some significance. To be perfectly honest, I had no clue what the significance was. I just knew it was a smart thing to pick up the feather and put it somewhere for safe keeping, and I did.
Two days later, on June 16, 1998, Roberta, my wife, who was close to passing over to the next life, asked me to do her a favor. When I asked her what she wanted me to do, she said, "Will you get me a feather?" Whoa! Why was she asking and boy was I lucky. Because I had a feather, and I hung it from the ceiling for her to see. This part of the story has already been told here on this blog site JUNE 14, 1998: THE "FIRST" FEATHER. Check it out. It's an awesome read and all the other entries on this site are connected to this event.
Well, so today is June 16, 2012, the fourteenth anniversary of Roberta asking for a feather. Today, on my 6 mile walk, I went back and forth about what route to take, what streets to go up and down, what Cul de sac's to take, just how far to walk in the first place, and on and on. I never figure any of it out ahead of time. I just start walking. So about a mile and a half into the walk, I'm making a decision. Do I go up Mountain View and come back down Vineyard, the street we lived on when we first came to Yucaipa? Back and forth, yes, no, yes, no, and finally yes. And as I trudge up Mountain View, there on the ground in front of me is a fresh feather. That's it in the picture above.
It left me a little breathless and excited. I was really surprised. So, Roberta, you're still watching out for us, letting us know that you too remember what day it is. Wow! And I hope someday you will tell us what prompted you in the first place to ask for a feather. Did you plan this out all along? I bet you did.
Well, thanks, Love, for the feather. What a gift! what a Father's Day gift!
I miss you so and will be thinking of you tomorrow on Father's Day when David and I will be together with Neff and her family and with very special people in my life. And then again on Monday, we will be remembering your special day of passing over. A celebration for you, a loss for us, but we also join in on the celebration as well. I will always remember having dinner that night with Dan and the waiter coming to offer us bread when the meal was completely over and absolutely refusing to leave until we took the bread. I know that was you offering us your bread, your Eucharist, and I have felt your presence in my life ever since. Looking forward to seeing you again. Thanks again for the special feather today.
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