Many years ago while digging out of one of life's rough patches I headed into the soothing quiet of a frozen swamp.

Here, the scorching heat of failure was cooled and the hollow ache of loss was lessened.

I wanted to escape my life for a while so I wandered way off trail to sit and see what swamp life was like.

Among the difficult things churning through my mind was the loss of Dad. As I was thinking about where we go after we die a tiny Saw Whet Owl fluttered on to a branch near me. I sat frozen in disbelief and worry that any move would scare them off. But we looked at each other for a long time. Eventually I moved slowly toward the owl and was able to get close enough to say hello and take a decent picture with a not so great camera.

From that day forward I have associated Saw Whet Owls with my Dad. I'm not sure how much he'd like being the smallest owl but he probably wouldn't mind being known as one of the friendliest.

I think about that day a lot and consider it a visit from Dad at a time that I really needed it. I won't forget it any time soon.

Happy birthday Dad.