<<<~~~>>>


He was never without it:
Gazing at sunsets
Fishing
Walking the dogs
Taking a stroll ~

Now
It sits as if expectantly waiting
for its owner to return...

It never ceases to bring a smile
Sometimes it warrants a sigh ~

Most don’t even recognize
its place of honor on top of the desk
alongside cherished framed photos

Even fewer comment or question why

But it’s there…
It’s been resting there since 2001:

Same crease down its center
Same slightly upturned brim
Same soft brown wool felt

Sometimes,
when they think no one is looking,
the two young ones try it on,
but only for a few fleeting moments …

Sometimes,
when she is alone,
she carefully examines it,
to be sure it is free from dust…

Their grandfather’s hat
Her father’s fedora

For these three now,
a silent but tangible connection:

Reassurance
Reflection
Remembrance
       of a lifetime filled
       with treasured memories
When the world was safe and new and
life’s questions could always make sense by
Gazing at sunsets
Fishing
Walking the dogs
Taking a stroll
alongside the gentle, smiling man
who was far more than the sum of his hat,
but whose hat still brings
Connections
Caring
Comfort
to an oftentimes indifferent world
so desperately in need of all three…  


                                                   <<<~~~>>>