There is something like fall in the air. It is cool outside. It’s a nice way to be greeted in the morning. In addition, I woke up to find my collegiate football team pulled one out late last night after I went to sleep.  Good for them. My spirits are up. Today, I will continue the work I started yesterday, painting my entranceway gate. Yesterday I did the design elements—a Texas star in red, a fleur de lis in purple, and a big W in metallic gold. Today I’ll do the rest in battleship gray.

I am also happy to report that the big pile of trash that was supposed to be picked up on September 22 was finally picked up on Thursday. A bit late but gone. So, we’re all good. The pile in question represented about five years’ worth of stuff that had just collected and was making the yard look junky, because it was junk. It’s the sort of thing that would have never happened under my wife’s watch. She abhorred junk and untidiness. It feels good making her happy even though she’s not here to be happy. Hard to figure that one.

I imagine it’s something like that phantom pain you feel when you lose a limb. I lost a wife, but it still feels good doing things for her, and since it makes me feel good as well, I might as well keep it up. After all, I still live here, and I might as well have a nice looking house. Seems reasonable. Besides, I occasionally have company and I was even thinking I might like to throw a small party and invite some of my friends over because that’s one of those things that makes a house a home. People. Friends. Family. Children. Love. Music. Laughter. And my wife would have enjoyed it and that’s reason enough for me.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver's Tale