Evoke the forms. Where you’ve nothing else construct ceremonies out of the air and breathe upon them.

         – Cormac McCarthy, The Road

That the most gifted and beloved amongst us can shine beyond borders is both mystery and solace.

This week we lost Cormac McCarthy, whose talents are borderless.

When I first began reading Cormac’s works, the top note of darkness overwhelmed. In more recent years, the fierce undercurrent of love and hope has shone ever more brightly. 

Dear ones, when we are at a loss for words or deeds, 

may we evoke the forms.

And when the darkness falls,

may we carry the fire.

It may seem odd to some to be quoting The Road on Father’s Day, but can you name a more powerful love story of father and child?  Father’s Day is complicated and painful for many, and yet we have all been fathered in some way – by family and friends and teachers and coaches and books and music and rivers and mountains. I am one of the very lucky ones who has a dad who taught her how to change a flat tire and how to offer a proper handshake and how to navigate life with resilience and honor. If you have ever cared for anyone or anywhere or anything with this kind of devotion, thank you. Your love improves our world.