But I don’t want to change what you believe. I want you to be comfortable with your ... ideas. Your beliefs. I don’t want to spoil anything for yo...u.”“I don’t have any beliefs,” she said, “the other girl did, but I don’t.”“Well, I hate to say it, but that kind of describes me. I may not be right, but I just don’t know. I’m ... what’s the word? Agnostic? There’s something out there, but I don’t think that any of the organized religions have it right.”She thought for another hundred footsteps.. Anyway, on this particular afternoon, my last south-to-north passengertrip consisted of just two women. They looked like a mother and daughter,but very much out of place on a small passenger ferry crossing to theHoo. They were dressed for the town with smart high-heeled court shoes,totally unsuited to a muddy footpath or even for getting down theslippery wharf steps to the boat which was, by this time, sitting about15 feet below the top of the mill wharf.The daughter, who looked to be about. "Melinda thought about turning around and heading home, it wouldn't hurt her feelings at all to do so. On the other hand she knew she would feel as guilty as hell the rest of the day and through the holidays, because she always told everyone, "Family was important, and they need to be happy especially at Christmas time."She sighed, shook her shoulders, and prepared for the tedious drive. To keep her spirit up she put "Trisha Yearwood's The Sweetest Gift" CD into the player. Music always calmed. She’s just perfect.“And because she is, I have the greatest family in the whole world. Take young Mike, for example. He’s engaged to Ken’s daughter. Can you believe it? Engaged to marry the daughter of the greatest military hero and one of the most self-sacrificing heroines in the world. And all I get is love, in endless quantities.” Then he shook his head and answered decisively, “It could not possibly be better than it is. That’s all there is to it.”Turning to the other two, Jack asked the.