He was one of the guides on a river rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. He disappeared Tuesday night. Search and Rescue arrived Wednesday morning and questioned all the members of the group before sending them on and continuing the search. The area where he disappeared is a small area enclosed by cliffs. It didn’t seem as if the search could take very long. There is no concern of predators. He was an athlete and a strong swimmer and he was wearing a life preserver.

At this time, no trace has been found.

Search and rescue fan out from the location they call the PLS, Place Last Seen. Morgan’s father is an athlete, and he wants to go to that PLS. How could he bear not going, standing there, feeling the air, wanting to feel on that air his son’s breath? No matter how professional the searchers are, one asks, are they searching as I would search for my own son? The location where Morgan disappeared would take days to get to by boat or on foot. It is terribly remote even for an athletic parent.

My son Stephen was born in 1991, Morgan not even a full two years later. My youngest and my cousin’s oldest had much in common. Adventurous, charismatic, good looking, crowd pleasers. At a family reunion on the Great Lakes, Lisa and I stood and watched the two boys paddle out to their uncle’s large sail boat. We waited for their small boat to circle around and come into sight, but it did not reappear. They’re going to board our uncle’s boat! I suddenly realized, and then, like pirates, they boarded. We saw their small figures on the deck. When they were small, we left them alone for a short time and came back to find the VCR not working. Someone had fed it a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. To this day, Stephen insists it was Morgan’s idea, Morgan thought the VCR was hungry. As adults, they both were travelers and outdoorsman. They have both been all over Europe, Morgan’s been to the Galapagos Islands, Stephen’s been to Nepal and travelled East Asia. They’re both over six feet, with energy, charm and great smiles.

This summer, Morgan was leading a river rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Stephen has been exploring national parks as well, hiking, biking, writing in his journal. He’s visited Yosemite, Death Valley, Lassen and is now in Yellowstone. He’s headed to the Grand Canyon.

I want to believe that Morgan will be found. Morgan’s parents are at the Grand Canyon now.

We should all treat each other, our fellow humans, with care and kindness, with love and respect. If you thought that person were missing, you would empty your bank account and give everything to get them back. Love them now.

My aunt asked me, if I still pray at all, to pray now. Morgan is her first grandchild. She’s lost her brother, her parents, her sister. She asks me to pray and I do. I pray for his safe return.

The last prayer I said every night before sleeping until I was eighteen at the Farm is the prayer I give now for Morgan and for all those who loved him.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you peace both now and ever.