Prompt: At the top of the stairs

6:33 p.m.

Dear Lara,

This evening we were almost to the top of those wooden stairs on the Coastal Trail.

"This really weird thing happened last night," I said to Tom. "I felt bad yesterday. Tired, lost, and like I hadn't been able to get enough work done. When we went to bed I still felt depressed. I woke up at 3:00 and remember thinking for a fraction of a second: 'Sometimes I feel better after a few hours of sleep. I wonder if I do!' But after two more seconds I realized I didn't feel any better. I still felt down in the dumps.

Then when I went back to sleep I had this dream. James T. Kughler was in it. I don’t remember what happened in the dream, but the dream was such a wonderful thing that I had another dream right after it where I told Debbie and Mary about the first dream. Then when I woke up around 6:00 I felt really good. Calm, and in the most amazing state of mind.”

Anyway, Lara, James T. Kughler was a color separator who worked with the publishing company in TN where I worked for 11 years. He was fun; brought donuts when he came to make a call; he loved his family; he rode a motorcycle; he had a good spirit. We called him James T. for short.

Fifteen years later––after Tom and I had moved to CA––I caught up with James T. on Facebook. He told me he had colon cancer and had been living with it for years. He was in a good frame of mind as always. Then a year ago he died.

But back to our conversation on the stairs. I was hesitant to say this to Tom, but it just came out: "I felt so much better after the dream that I wondered if James T had come back to be with me or to help me."

"Those things happen," said Tom.

I was stunned that Tom said that. I wanted to say, "Do you really think those things happen?" but I decided to let it go and to walk in silence.

It just goes to prove you can be with somebody 40 years and still not know them.

I hope you have a good night!

Sincerely,

Linda D.