Part of his Education
Watching the ducks, part of Samwise's education, so different thanthe one he'll get in the next couple of weeks.As the sun was setting, I looked to my left. Seated next to me was Samwise. He was alert...
View ArticleDear Atticus
Dear Friend,All those years. The miles. Thousands of mountains. As I sit writing to you, they all run together, and then like a slide show on shuffle, mountaintops and memories come into focus before...
View ArticleThe Experience of Being Alive
Dearest friend,Today is the darkest of days for my friend Virginia and her partner Brenda. They are preparing to say goodbye to their beloved Kiko, a four-legged soul with the best black and white...
View ArticleMorning Reflections
It's not that early, but the stars and planets are still out. Slowly they turn and shimmer in the predawn sky outside my bedroom window as I listen to music and write letters. I'm not sure there are...
View ArticleThe Lessons of Miss November
It helps not to have a television, or to visit big box stores or the outlet chains. Without those, a natural rhythm unfolds. The world slows down. I can feel it exhale and inhale. Holidays remain...
View ArticleATTI - 48
I am a strange bird in that I toe the line between pragmatism and romanticism. This occurred to me last night as I looked back on what transpired at our town clerk’s office in the morning. Karen...
View ArticleStars Aligning
Oh, how the winter night calls to us. Yes, there may be less light these January days than we’d like, but in the darkness, the stars shine brightly. For me, it has always been a metaphor for my faith....
View ArticleA Letter About Will's Red Coat
In the next week or so, advance reader’s copies of “Will’s Red Coat” will be making their way across the country to media outlets and bookstores to give them a preview of what is to come. (A.R.C.s are...
View ArticleThe Hospital Dream
Something a little more personal tonight. Some thoughts about what went into writing Will's Red Coat and how we got where we are today.In my sleep, I often return to a night from last April.The dream...
View ArticleOur Big Trip, Six Weeks In
I have lost track of time. However, studying the calendar and adding up the days tells me we are now on Day 42. The original plan was 60 days, and I think we’ll come close to meeting that mark. We’re...
View ArticleAll Roads Lead Home
I don’t own a television any longer. A few years back I knew of a single mother whose kids wanted a large flat screen TV but couldn’t afford one, so I gave her mine. I have not missed having one. We...
View ArticleThe Upcoming Chapters
We are home, and it feels…It feels…It’s interesting. It’s as if I’ve had a tune-up. I have a set of goals staring at me from the corner of my old desk. They each feel like invitations to go another...
View ArticleFrom Our Time on the Trails this Morning
I don’t spend much time in the past. I don’t wallow in sadness, spend prolonged periods mourning or wishing things were different. On occasion, though, I find myself thinking of those who have left...
View ArticleThe Fifth Week
It feels good to end our third walk of the day just after dusk, wrapped in a heavy sweater against the cold as the sun sinks behind the mountains and all fades from silver and black to black and gray,...
View ArticleTen Years On: "Following Atticus" Debuts in Japan
The Japanese version of "Following Atticus."Today, in subzero temperatures, I was drawn back to ten years ago. It was the year when Atticus and I set out to summit each of the 48 4,000-foot-peaks in...
View ArticleAppalachian Trail Name: Atticus
Years ago, when Atticus and I were hiking several times a week, I gave some thought to hiking the Appalachian Trail with him. I was excited by the endurance challenge of through-hiking the entire...
View ArticleBefore You Normalize It, Put Yourself In My Shoes
It’s called stalking, even if you think it isn’t. I’ve been sitting on something for a while, as my friends know. It’s been an issue since the publication of Following Atticus in 2011, but it’s...
View ArticleLeaning Into a New Season
April on the Will Moses calendar.One of my favorite possessions is the calendar above my desk, illustrated by Will Moses. The scenes depict villages both rustic and charmed. They are images you can...
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