To forgive...

I woke up this morning in your bed, little sweetheart. I’m in your pretty room at the house on Richland Road on my last day in NorCal over the Christmas holidays. I awoke in your bed with my pictures of you at my side on the nightstand and your side of the covers undisturbed, ready, as ever, for you to turn them down and collect me in your arms in my sleep and take me with you forever to live in our love in the beautiful someplace else. And as the warm California breeze and birdsong awoke me this day, I remembered I’d just been dreaming of you, my darling girl. We were together and you were taking up paper and pen and saying to me, “let’s make a list of all the people we need to forgive”. Oh, my sweetheart! You know everything! You know me so well, my love, don’t you? You feel my hurt and my ache and my desperate loneliness. And you try so hard to come to me and help me from your slight but significant remove to the other side of consciousness. Yes, my little sweetheart. Let’s make that list. It’s a wonderful way to begin this New Year, my love, my gracious, gentle, compassionate soulmate. Yes, Summer, let’s draw it right up and let forgiveness, even of ourselves, commence this nascent season. Let us do exactly that. Thank you, baby. And please, always be with me. Always. Don’t go too far away...