10/18/2026
It's a little lengthy but I really wanted to share this.
At the end of 2025 I had made the decision to walk Gus 500 miles this year(2026).. somewhere I had read that movement helps heal grief so I figured what the heck can I lose.. and I'm pretty sure I settled on 500 miles because of that song about walking 500 miles 😆well this past week Gus and I reached our goal of walking 500 miles this year.
It was a beautiful fall night and for the most part, an ordinary day. We only needed two more miles to reach the goal. I didn't really know how I'd feel when we hit 500. When my watch buzzed and I saw that I had hit mile 500, I was overwhelmed with sadness knowing I couldn’t call the person I wanted to tell most.
I said out loud, “I wish I could tell my dad."
Well I'm not even kidding you, I turned my head, and there stood a lone deer, stoic as ever, in the tall grass. I actually thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because I had just looked there.
To be honest, I haven’t felt many overwhelming signs that Dad is here with me. But looking for deer was always our thing. As a kid, we looked for them together. As I got older, we would talk about the deer we saw or send each other pictures. Since he passed I find myself looking for deer, thinking of him and wishing I could send him pics.
I see deer on our walks often, but this one felt different. One lone deer, standing there at the exact moment I said I wished I could tell Dad. A very "field of dreams" moment. Maybe it was a coincidence... maybe it was something else? I honestly don’t actually know what to think. But for a single moment he felt not so far away.
So for those of you out there hurting, sad and lonely, this post is for you. I want to encourage you to keep on moving forward. Set a goal and keep that promise to yourself. The weather won't always be perfect and you won't always want to do it.. I wont even say the movement will take away your grief, but I do believe it'll help you learn how to carry it. 💙
