The last two days were spent in Michigan on claims.I drove the entire way again and forgot to get audio books so I had to listen to Rush and Glenn Beck.Not good. Now I feel I have to stock up on ammo and spam and dig a bomb shelter.Sigh. Deb called when I was almost home and told me Grandpa and Grandma Miller were in town and everyone was getting together at Dad's so I drove straight there. Got there before anyone else and just wandered around his little farm,leaning on the fence and watching the cows eat the fresh grass. He lives on one of the last unpaved roads in the county and its where I grew up. The only sound to be heard were the birds and the heady smells were of fresh grass, Mom's flowers and the faint cow smell. Walked over to the front porch and sat back in the rocker that I have never been in, admiring my new Mom's flowers and watching a nervous hummingbird sipping nectar a few feet from me. While I was on the road I called Dad and said "Listen to this!". Bobby Bear was singing "Detroit City" and I cranked up the volume and let him hear. The song is about a man who sought his fortune but things didn't quite turn out the way he thought and now he just wants to be with the people that he knows love him."I wanna go home, I wanna go home. Oooooh Lord, I wanna go home". Its one of the songs my Dad used to always sing at work if he thought no-one was listening. We chuckled about it but here I was less than 24 hours later with the rare privilege of just sitting and doing nothing, surrounded by the memories of security and comfort and most of all love. Only I didn't know it back then. I just knew that Dad was there and Mom too. I was safe. I tell you, I felt like the absolute luckiest man alive. Later around a campfire Gramps was telling of where all he had been during the day. He had visited old friends that he had gone to school and church with. He looked up his old Amish schoolmate who is now the Bishop and they had a good talk. Here was one of the men that modeled forgiveness and grace to me. My saint of a grandma was there telling stories about where she grew up which just so happens to be where I now live.The kids were completing the cycle by loudly careening down the same hill that my brothers and I used to with our Big Wheels.A lovely lady,looking all chic,was there smiling and not acting at all upset that she wore the title of Mrs. Bob Schwartz. So I quote Lou Gehrig "Today, I am the luckiest man alive". | 
