On our morning walk, I noticed that the giant candy cane seems to be the item most affixed to homes for the holiday season. I remembered the large Santa face that Dad used to put out on the outside of the house at Christmas. Where did that thing come from, and where is it now? It was about three feet in diameter, an old fashioned face made of plaster, framed in gold. The Santa had a wart on his nose. It looked like the kind of display a victorian store might have in its display window. Dad always put a spotlight on it.

Last night, coming home from work, I found myself whistling a Sousa march, and was suddenly in tears. The deep grief of missing my parents, especially at the holidays, bubbles up in unsuspecting ways.

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