I almost didn't post anything, because I couldn't come up with anything original, but I also believe that this is a beautiful, tender, heart-rending piece. I couldn't not respond.
I, too, know the pain that comes when an adult child makes choices which aren't those which the parent wish had been made. But Sam has, in this painful, eye-opening moment, finally realized that greatness isn't found in the path of life chosen, but in the striving. He sees that Lois will do something so much greater than he has done, simply because she took the risk and reached for something without rigging up a safety net first. That moment of prescience, along with his willingness to do whatever she asks of him, bridges the gap betweeen himself and his little girl more completely than any number of family celebrations could ever do.
This is such a wonderful glimpse into a man driven to accomplish something beyond himself, something he couldn't quite do, yet who is given the chance to do that incredible, wonderful thing without anyone else ever knowing he'd done it, and he embraces it willingly. Good for him.
And good for you, Caroline. Your beautiful words have touched me once again. Thank you.
