And the legs were shaped with his hands
And the top made of oaken wood
And the children
That sat around this great table
Touched it with their laughter
Ah, and that was good

Neil Diamond, Morningside

Taken out of context, Neil’s words sound sweet. The truth is that the lyrics are taken from a sad song about an Old Man who made a table, carved words into it, passed away, and no one claimed it. End of story.

The music, however, is beautiful. It’s classic Neil Diamond playing his classic guitar- graceful and soulful. I listened to “Hot August Night: Live At the Greek Theater” for a bit. It is one of my all time favorite albums. I wanted to make sure Neil joined me on the Camino since he has been on my Way for fifty years. Listening to Neil reminds me of so many memories: my wedding, Fenway Park, Sweet Caroline, Christmas Eves, driving around Hershey in Dad’s green Saab with thet top down, Dave suggesting Soolaimon for a boy’s name, the infamous night in Italy when we were told to quiet down by management…yeah, that night.

Serendipitously, a new table is arriving for our Cape house today to replace the one that we have sat around for the last twenty-two years. The legs are wobbly- stablized by a nail- and I have had to warn people who were sitting in a specific chair that it might give out. A new purchase was time long overdue. And I’m a bit sad. Like Neil’s songs, the table holds feelings and brings back memories: Charlie’s Baptism, my bridal shower, Fourth of July’s, Matthew’s graduation party, late night talks, countless dinners, Mom’s and Dad’s 40th wedding anniversary with Sharon D. and Loretta visiting…yeah, that night.

To me, my writing is like the two tables. The Old Man crafted “a table made of nails and pride and with his hands, he carved these words inside- ‘For my children.’ I craft my words with the same “nails and pride” for my children. It gives me great joy and satisfaction to shape and share my words with all of you. Like the tables, they capture my memories and hold them. And like Neil, you are part of my past, present, and future. Thank you! Once again, the Camino does her magic.

Note: Morningside by Neil Diamond- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeIAqLcIiVE