This is a beautiful reading in how you are moving through grief. Your daughter’s sensitivity and thoughtful gifts reflect her kind, thoughtful and loving soul. Thank you for sharing your deeply personal feelings on your losses. You have helped me this morning as I am reflecting on my mother’s passing two years ago.
This is such a gorgeous piece of writing Rob,as I get older I notice simple things especially nature so vividly and so gratefully.Losing a parent does unmoor you
My mam was our rock.Because of the way she looked at life I will always turn my face to the sun🌻 xxx
Marcus Aurelius wrote that you should “Remember you must die(memento Mori)”. That you should think of your mortality often. I agree. Nothing is permanent. The world is change. Life is perspective.
Thank you, Michael. I try to remember it as much as I can. It's a very good cure for minor worries, that's for sure. I appreciate your reading, and chiming in. It means a lot.
Great idea, Lisa. I hope you can find one near you—or even maybe a local forager who will take you out. It's very much worth it. I do use apps sometimes out of curiosity, but I only eat mushrooms that someone with more experience taught me to recognize in person. Let me know how it goes! It's one of the most fun, rewarding things you can do.
I think this might have been one of the first pieces I first read of yours last year, Rob. Wonderful to revisit it. I recently noticed a birch fungus on a dead tree in our garden. It must have been there for months. Looked it up and it was used as an antifungal medicine and as a razor strop. Amazing what’s there when we really look.
There’s something very apt about you hiking with your son, mostly away from pings and interruptions. Enjoy your travels.
Thank you, Wendy. Love that about the birch fungus. We only have the occasional birch tree in our local forest, but I'm always on the lookout for chaga whenever I see one.
It was an uncanny coincidence to be off grid with Milo when the pings were coming in—which we'd only see once a day or so. He found it all very amusing, though he claims he hasn't lost a shoe since his fourteenth birthday in March. It's a bold claim.
I did residency in Minneapolis, where I met my friend Tyler. After residency finished, Tyler stayed and I moved to Madison, WI. About twice a year, we meet up on the MN-WI border (near LaCrosse and Winona) and forage. He introduced me to cooking mushrooms in the forest and my mind was blown away Rob! I don't have any luck with morels but we've found all the ones you've listed and we have a great chanterelle spot that we come back to every July.
I love how you weaved in the forest in this essay. It is such a calming place. Just curious, whereabouts are you hiking in this story?
Thank you for your simple or rather simply profound & searching (i.e. searching me out in the deep recesses of mind, memory & heart) words & observations. The photography also is wonderful. Hope you have much more to share to enlighten our minds & to enlarge our hearts.
This is a beautiful reading in how you are moving through grief. Your daughter’s sensitivity and thoughtful gifts reflect her kind, thoughtful and loving soul. Thank you for sharing your deeply personal feelings on your losses. You have helped me this morning as I am reflecting on my mother’s passing two years ago.
Lynn, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I'm glad this connected, and am grateful for your kind words. Sending my very best to you.
Thank you.
Your woods are more dramatic, but I feel the same way walking the perimeter of our fields along the impenetrable forest on our land..,
Thank you, Janice. It sounds like a beautiful walk.
Welcome back Rob. it's good to read about the mushrooms and foraging and the gifts. What thoughtful presents. A beautiful piece.
Thanks so much, Margaret! Catching up and excited to read your latest.
Thank you for allowing us to walk with you Rob, what an honour to read of your time moving through loss. May peace be with you.
Thank you so much, Alexandra. That's a lovely thing to say.
This is such a gorgeous piece of writing Rob,as I get older I notice simple things especially nature so vividly and so gratefully.Losing a parent does unmoor you
My mam was our rock.Because of the way she looked at life I will always turn my face to the sun🌻 xxx
Oh, I love that, Suzanne. What a beautiful way to remember her.
Thank you Rob xx
Marcus Aurelius wrote that you should “Remember you must die(memento Mori)”. That you should think of your mortality often. I agree. Nothing is permanent. The world is change. Life is perspective.
I loved reading this.
Thank you, Michael. I try to remember it as much as I can. It's a very good cure for minor worries, that's for sure. I appreciate your reading, and chiming in. It means a lot.
Beautiful story! You captured beautifully how I feel about the forest every time I hike!!
Thank you, Lisa! I'm glad you're out there in the forest, too. Foraging season's just starting up here.
I want to take a foraging class so that I can harvest and consume safely!
Great idea, Lisa. I hope you can find one near you—or even maybe a local forager who will take you out. It's very much worth it. I do use apps sometimes out of curiosity, but I only eat mushrooms that someone with more experience taught me to recognize in person. Let me know how it goes! It's one of the most fun, rewarding things you can do.
I will!
I think this might have been one of the first pieces I first read of yours last year, Rob. Wonderful to revisit it. I recently noticed a birch fungus on a dead tree in our garden. It must have been there for months. Looked it up and it was used as an antifungal medicine and as a razor strop. Amazing what’s there when we really look.
There’s something very apt about you hiking with your son, mostly away from pings and interruptions. Enjoy your travels.
Thank you, Wendy. Love that about the birch fungus. We only have the occasional birch tree in our local forest, but I'm always on the lookout for chaga whenever I see one.
It was an uncanny coincidence to be off grid with Milo when the pings were coming in—which we'd only see once a day or so. He found it all very amusing, though he claims he hasn't lost a shoe since his fourteenth birthday in March. It's a bold claim.
Love this. Just beautiful.
I did residency in Minneapolis, where I met my friend Tyler. After residency finished, Tyler stayed and I moved to Madison, WI. About twice a year, we meet up on the MN-WI border (near LaCrosse and Winona) and forage. He introduced me to cooking mushrooms in the forest and my mind was blown away Rob! I don't have any luck with morels but we've found all the ones you've listed and we have a great chanterelle spot that we come back to every July.
I love how you weaved in the forest in this essay. It is such a calming place. Just curious, whereabouts are you hiking in this story?
Thank you for your simple or rather simply profound & searching (i.e. searching me out in the deep recesses of mind, memory & heart) words & observations. The photography also is wonderful. Hope you have much more to share to enlighten our minds & to enlarge our hearts.