My father passed away last friday after a long illness at the age of 81. Though he had his share of struggles, as we all do, he was a good man, and a good father. His quality of life had been on a steep decline and he was tired of all the discomfort, pills, and doctors. Fortunately, there was a hospice program available to make him as comfortable as possible and I was able to say goodbye to him during his last days and share some stories. Looking through some family pictures, I saw this one that I hadn't seen before. That's me with my pop and my brother on the left. The words are part of the lyrics from a song called "Down Here On The Ground" originally written by Lalo Schifrin. I had been listening to some old songs from my youth including George Benson's version of this song. Yeah a bit corny, I know, but it now has new meaning with my father passing away. He was ready to let go. Though it's hard and I'll miss him, there's a sweet sadness that I feel, and when I see the birds at the lake or beach, I kind of feel like we are watching them together.