Dear Mr. Squirrel

It was chance that found us both in Rock Creek Park today on Ross Drive. Pure coincidence. I was certainly as surprised to see you there as you must have been when you saw me.

I'd like to assure you that your fate was certainly not my intention. Nor do I take delight in it.

I too have been on the wrong end of circumstance before. I know firsthand the impact a split second of poor timing can have. And while I may not have suffered the same outcome, I believe I can appreciate the moments leading up to it. You have my sincere apology.

But, Mr. Squirrel, life is a game of inches. A fall off a cliff is only a single step. A bullet to the heart is only a twitch of a finger. And your extra step, and the extra twitch of my finger on the brake were all it took. A cosmic roll of the dice came up craps.

While I won't pretend I can ever understand some things, I do think that in the end, everything is always as it should be. There's no other way for everything to be than what it is. I hope you are comforted knowing that you had no chance up against the strongest force in nature: coincidence. And I hope you ultimately realize: there are no coincidences.