The Most Important Thing: Stories about Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers

Luke was always close to his father, and they used to go camping together several times a year. Luke recalls how his father called their log cabin by the lake his favorite place in the world, and how they would bond during their time there. One day, Luke comes home for the weekend, eager to go camping with his dad. When he sees police cars outside the apartment, he thinks nothing of it at first. In the apartment hallway, he sees a faint glimmer but isn’t sure what it is. Inside his apartment, he finds several family members, but nobody wants to say anything to him.

His Uncle Carl takes him into his mother’s bedroom, where he finds his mother crying. She reveals that his father was killed in a car accident, and Luke is totally stunned. He hugs his mother and other relatives but doesn’t cry until he’s in his room alone. Following the news, Luke begins seeing his father’s spirit everywhere, and this becomes more frequent especially after the urn arrives. Luke holds the urn and asks his father’s spirit what to do, and it occurs to him that his father loved the lake.