MY FATHER DIED YESTERDAY. He did so peacefully, and surrounded by family and friends. It wasn’t unexpected, so I had a lot of posts scheduled for today. This column from a few weeks ago tells the story pretty well.

I’m not going away, but I’m taking a week off from the USAT column, and blogging here — by me, at least, as the co-bloggers are stepping up nicely — will be lighter than usual.

And here are some words from Charles Black that mean a lot to me:

In process of letting go the breath,

Moment for relieving your eyes’ ache,

You see bark patterns, a child’s hand

Catching and throwing, next to the tree.

You have to relive all your days

To receive the gift of surprise

At words you didn’t quite hear, once riding.

Do what you can; everything will come

In memory if never in experience.

Revisit, retell. Love sounds deeper

Out of time than in time. Act love

Imperfectly; you will remember love itself.