Joseph Campbell says of the hero journey that the hero leaves the familiar behind and journeys to an unfamiliar, sometimes dark place. Along the way, he or she finds magical helpers, sometimes in the form of people, sometimes of animals, who help find the way home. Tyler is a magical helper, he appeared right after my surgery, he mowed the lawn, stacked firewood, helped direct traffic at our Open Houses. He is helping to rake the leaves, move firewood to the porch.

I don’t always know how these things happen, but Tyler feels as much like a member of the family as someone we hire to work. He says little, works hard and continuously, always finds a way to get himself her and home – sometimes a ride, sometimes a bike. He will come into the house once in awhile to get a drink, or to say hello or goodbye. He is learning to hunt and although he is quiet, he has a ready smile and doesn’t miss much. He loves to be around animals, especially dogs.

Today, he showed up in the cold and the rain and moved a half-cord of firewood onto the back porch, where we can reach it easily on stormy and cold nights. Tyler does not care if it is cold and rainy.

I have one child, a brilliant and wonderful daughter, if I had had a son I would have been happy to have one just like Tyler.

And this is one of the things I have learned about life in the past few years, if you are open to it, magical helpers appear when you need them.