Two months after Vic died, I had the most vivid dream I'd ever experienced. In my dream, I woke to see Vic standing in our bedroom.  I gasped and cried out, "Vic, is it really YOU?  Are you really here?"  He smiled and nodded. I tentatively reached out to touch him, and I could feel his skin. I rushed to hold him, my head on his shoulder as he put his arms around me. I couldn't hold back the tears.  "I've missed you so MUCH..." I cried.  His arms tightened.  "I miss you, too, Carolynn. There are so many people and things I miss, but this isn't my work now."  Somehow, that made perfect sense. Our arms around each other's waists, we walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where we stood silently in front of the window and gazed wordlessly at the beautiful green hills behind our home, perfectly content.  I woke up feeling peaceful and endlessy grateful.

I feel quite grateful to have known Vic through a  couples (Circle) group my late husband Barry and I were part of with Vic and Carolynn for more than 15 years. I had always wondered what it would be like to have a brother (I have three sisters). Vic and I sometimes squabbled like siblings~each with strong, no holds barred personalities we clashed at times, but we also held a deep respect for each other’s honesty. I admired Vic and he admired me right back~like a brother. He said I reminded him of his sister Ginger. My husband and Vic “left” our Circle within 10 months of each other. The Circle and our lives will never be the same again.

Recently I listened to a story from Tara Brach that Vic had shared with us when he was our minister.  I was elated. The story is about a family that had been traveling by car who stopped to have lunch. The restaurant was mostly empty. They situated themselves at a table and placed their one year old in a highchair. Soon after they began eating, the baby became very verbal and excited saying "Hi there" again and again and again. The mom looked around to see what was arousing the child. To her dismay she beheld a very disheveled  and dirty old  homeless man waving to the baby and doing peekaboo and patty cake. . After they finished, the Mom gathered up her child, hoping to leave quickly because the old guy was seated right by the door.  But as she passed him,  the baby propelled himself into the old man's lap. Of course she was aghast because he was so dirty.  The baby was so happy and sharing his joy. After a few minutes the homeless man handed the child to his mother with tears in his eyes and said 
"Thank you Mam, this is the best Christmas gift I  ever received. "  This touched her heart too, altho she was still physically repelled. When Vic told the story he teared up as he came to the end and got that feeling in his throat. And I  did too. Perhaps we all did.
I loved that Vic was not afraid to let his tender emotions show in his talks. 
It was a beautiful story and a moment. 

Vic's shoes were average size, but the footprints that he left behind were deep and mighty.  May I walk in his footsteps!