Chapter Twenty-Three: A Little Fun with Friends

This is an eminently walkable island, Sam. I have been over much of it either with Bilbo, Gandalf or my friends or just exploring by myself. I’ve even found a wonderful tree to sit under and do my writing and remembering. I am going to make it a point to see it all before you come so I can show you all the best places and you can see it all for yourself.

Bilbo and I used to take long walks together before he got too weak to do it. It was thought the exercise would help my sadness and it did. I miss him still, but I imagine, especially on these walks I take now by myself, that he is with me still. I can still hear his voice, feel his hand in mine as we used to do when I was a tween and he thrilled me with his stories and his life and his company.

I’ve even taken up the pipe again and enjoy it on a fresh summer day just like we used to. There is much that I am rediscovering about myself here. The night I became free of the Ring, I slowly spun around, arms outstretched, under the stars. I am learning to love the night again. You are getting your Frodo back, my Sam, and I am that glad to see him return as well. I have been so long afraid to look in the mirror and see a stranger stare back, but today, that face in the mirror was smiling and happy and I actually recognized him!

Walking through the meadows here is the next best thing to being back in the Shire. I can imagine you here, your hand firmly clasped around mine as we walked along or all that fighting off all sorts of dragons and wicked wizards with those swords that Bilbo made for us out of tree branches? Remember that Balrog we made short work of? Oh, Sam, if we had only known!

I can imagine Merry and Pippin here, too. I can hear your voices and your laughter and your shouts of delight and joy. I can run and play tag with you three and race you down a hill and just laugh with the sheer delight of being alive. Anyone seeing me would think I am alone, but I am not. You are all with me.  I love you so.