A very touching story.  I've oft wondered how I'm going to feel toward the end of life.  I currently have no desire to be around if the quality of life isn't there with me.  I guess I'll just have to jump that hurdle when I get there.

One thing I do know is what makes me happy.  One of those things is what we all have in common, a love for all things beautiful, especially if we have a paddle in hand.  I'm going to try to keep doing these things as long as I can.

There's a passage in the book "The Velveteen Rabbit" where the toy skin horse is talking to the toy velveteen rabbit about becoming "real" that goes something like this......

"Generally by the time you are real most of your hair has been loved off and you become loose in the joints and very shabby.  But these things don't matter at all because once you are real you can never be ugly except to those who don't understand".

Somehow I think most of us have become real.

Safe travels........Mike