Hawks

     When Vern and I traveled, he would always look out for hawks - sometimes the steering wheel going in the same direction as his eyes and I would reach out and turn the wheel back.  He would count how many we saw along the way, or point out a red tail or a small sparrow hawk and other types he would spot.  "The best time to see hawks,"  he would say, "is about noon time when they're looking for lunch".  Imagine his excitement when a red tail hawk pair made a nest in a tree at the flying field. (for those of you who didn't know Vern, he flew model airplanes and was partly instrumental in the Washington flying club getting their place on Cruger Road)  He kept his binoculars in the car and checked on the nest building, egg laying and hatching, etc.
       When he died and I would be traveling somewhere, I would see a hawk and say to myself:  "Hi, Vern, hey, I know you're watching out for me.  Thanks!"  Just one of the silly things a person does.  The Bible says we are not to ask for signs  and I don't but I believe that sometimes they just come your way.   When Maureen and I traveled together, she too began to notice hawks and my sister Judy commented on seeing them several times while traveling in and from Florida.  And both commented that Vern was looking out for us.
        One time, Maureen and I were coming home from the cancer clinic on Route 91.  I had been sure that the cancer was spreading and I was so relieved when I got a good report.  We were driving along side Hoerr Nursery when Maureen pointed out a hawk traveling right along side the car just below the tree line.  "Look, Mom", she said,  "Dad's telling you to stop worrying needlessly, everything is going to be alright".
        There have been other hawk sightings at odd times and it just makes me feel good to see them.  The latest was this Wednesday.  On Tuesday, I had been out to see Dr. G. and told him I would do another round of chemo.  I'm doing this because my children and friends have asked me to do it.  I am ready to  go on the next big adventure - death - but will try this whole chemo cocktail one more time.  Dr. assured me if I didn't like it, we would stop or try something else.  So every three weeks, I'll be going in to get a treatment.   Wednesday morning, I was sitting in the Den, which faces the back of the house, and out of nowhere came a hawk, landed very briefly on the telephone lines and flew off.  Was it a sign, a coincidence, a God incident, or a superstition?  I'll let you decide.  As for me, I like to think it was Vern stopping by so briefly, almost like a wink, to say he approves of my decision.