SIGNS
Signs inform us. Direct us. Influence us. They come in all sizes. Some, like the Amish sign above, are simple. Some signs light up. Some flash on and off twenty-four hours a day. Some signs are subtle. Quiet, like a whispering breeze. Precious as a baby's smile. Signs of impending bad weather or a health scare are signs we would prefer to go away. After losing someone we love, their life is retold over and over again. Signs of their life are everywhere. They tell a story. Their story unfolds as we take care of their things, from fishing poles to books (some with pages marked or paragraphs underlined, or notes scribbled on pieces of paper stuck between pages) to clothing we remember them wearing. We clean out drawers. Pack up boxes. Those signs are at every turn. On most every wall. On the refrigerator door. In most every room. From favorite magazines and countless editions of newspapers read from front to back, over and over again, to favorite old 45 records-to photos. So many pho