meeting spot

Hi,
I have a new friend, John. He's from northern Illinois. He's a warm, smiling man, quick to say hello to everyone on the beach and give hugs to all the women he greets each morning. I like him a lot.

John walks the beach every day at sunrise and makes his way up to a special spot where he sits down on a sand dune and faces the Gulf of Mexico. Then he has a chat with his wife. He tells her about how he's feeling after having had his knee replaced last November. He talks about their children and grand kids. He says a brief prayer for her, then he gets himself up off the ground and walks back down the beach to the condo to make himself breakfast. Alone.

John's wife died of cancer two years ago and her last wish was to have her ashes scattered into the Gulf outside their apartment. She knew that John would keep coming down to Marco Island to see her if he did that for her, otherwise he'd shut himself up in Illinois and become a hermit. Smart thinking on her part. John stays true to her memory and loves the fact that his morning strolls allow him to visit with her everyday. He sheds a few tears and gets his crying out of his system but considers that a good, healthy thing to do. I think he's terrific.

I try and meet up to walk with him in the morning after he's had his chat with his wife. We talk football (well, I listen anyway) and I'm learning about his children and his life story. He'll be 80 years old this year and looks about 65. If not for the fresh knee replacement I'm sure he'd be running down the beach and not walk. He misses his wife but has moved on. John even had a girlfriend for a while but it didn't pan out. He's cool with that but has decided he doesn't like the drama and would rather be on his own. I don't blame him at all. His morning meetings with his thoughts are what keep him sane and focused. I know his wife would approve. She's there for every meeting.

xox
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