[Eric72]

We often experience, and sometimes discuss, a loss in our lives. Over the past month, I have dealt with this twice.

Four weeks ago, my father passed away. He and I shared decades of memories, many of which were related to sports and collecting. While his passing was neither sudden nor unexpected, it was still devastating. Even though my relationship with my father was occasionally challenging, I loved and will miss him dearly.

Sixteen days later, my wife and I lost a family pet. His passing was something we had seen coming for a while. For the past six months, we did everything possible, as did the veterinarians. However, the time had come for him to cross the Rainbow Bridge...another soul I loved and will miss dearly.

So, why am I writing all of this here, on a message board devoted to baseball cards? Four weeks ago, my 1956 Topps project stopped as abruptly as it had begun. As other parts of my life return to something resembling normal, I find myself looking forward to resuming the project. Before jumping back in, though, I figured it would make sense to let you all know what happened that caused me to take a little time away.

I'll be back to posting 1956 Topps images/observations soon. Until then, take care.