A Conversation with Charles

Just in case any of you don't also check in to Lincoln's website [a small number, I'm sure] and to show how much this website is indebted to Lincoln and Lincoln's site, I'm reprinting [from his Home Page today] Lincoln's beautiful and alas imaginary conversation with Charles Kennedy who died last October at the age of 66. I too have been thinking a lot about Charles these days. Because of his kindness and intrinsic goodness Charles was very much our spiritual leader. Just thinking about him helps in hard times.


It's times like these that I would be calling 212-666-8906. At this hour he would almost certainly pick up his phone. Then that slow, pleasant, soothing voice would be on the other end making me feel like everything is going to be all right.

Charles left room for every possibility of good and not a vacant spot for hopelessness. Somewhere in the conversation he would be sure to remind me that so many of us are bonded by an animal that weighs just about two pounds only.

I never liked to allow any silent spots in our conversation for fear of prompting an end to the call. But sooner or later it would be an unreasonable hour for talking on the phone and we'd have to hang-up.

"Bye Babe!” he would always end saying. Then I would be left in an empty silence looking anxiously toward the nest call. I'm happy that I cannot distinctly remember our very last conversation on the phone--it softens the blow that I will never hear his voice again. I guess I'm wrong when I tell people that no one knows how many eggs are in the nest. Charles certainly has the fulfillment of knowing.

The uncertainty that is present right now reminds me that the roads I travel will have many more instances of uncertainty that I must cope with. But the slow, timely revelation of knowledge is what gives life its quality and I am prepared to know when it's good and ready to tell me.

Please keep the positive thoughts flowing for our precious friends.