The first summer after my dad died, my mom and I took our first of several memorable trips together. She went to Cape Cod with me while I attended a seminar. We had our afternoons free so we took a whale-watching cruise. I expected to see a spout or two in the far distance, but the reality was incredible. We must have seen 50 humpbacks--breaching, swimming under the boat and blowing so close that you could smell their fishy breath! We had to remind ourselves that this wasn't Seaworld and these were animals in the wild. The minute we pulled back into port, mom went in search of a gold whale's tale necklace to commemorate her adventure. She wore it every day for the rest of her life.
Mom has been gone now for over nine years. It didn't surprise me when my brother asked that I find a bone whale's tale and make him a necklace. My brother is as masculine as they come and a real redneck. I suspect a few of his friends may wonder when they see him wearing the necklace, but he and I will know that it really isn't about whales.
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