This book will be my traveling companion thru year end.

"Early Morning", a call to attention, to remembering.

My work tasks are clear.
Re-read his journals and reflect on his own learnings.
Document the "gifts" both my parents left.
Seeing thru his eyes as much as I can.
Rereading his words, be faithful to his lived experience.
Acting on his intentions.
Complete this unfinished project.

The Stafford book is a remembrance,
A book written by a son about his father.
A rich and thoughtful book.
Both documentary like and a kind of journal.

It is like the book I need to write - and will write, now.
Finishing and publishing his book is the task.

My Dad titled this book:
A Journey With Cancer: "Taking You To Places You Would Not a Rather Go".
He used a quote from John's gospel.

o think of this as my "Westhaven" project.

I will use the "Early Morning" format to structure the book.
Use a "bookends" logic (intro, his writing, several appendices).

A short, 5-7 pp, introduction similar to "Early Morning" in tone and content.
Both documentary like, facts (timelines, moments) and symbolic (reverie).
This needs to be written with Zen like "bare attention".
Offering a glimpse into his life, his learnings from his illness.
Share for others, a circle completed, an individuated life offering a glimpse of wholeness.
The writing must be a kind of pure seeing.

This introduction followed by my Dad's writing, the centerpiece, with very little editing,

Concluding the book with 5 appendices:

1. the chronology of his illness
2. his reading list (including tapes, music)
3. family recollections, then and now
(Notes written by my Mom and Jack, Mike, Pat. I saved their notes from then and will include their learnings from then and now)
4. facsimiles of selected pages from his handwritten journals
5. A few photos.

Always, we begin again.