Dearly Beloved Direct observation along the Arkansas Riverwalk By Doris Dembosky, Westcliffe, CO An old man pushes an elderly woman in a wheelchair. He leans into his task as if into a headwind. His age-spotted hands grip the handles of the chair. He lifts his head to judge the distance along the hard-pack, riverside path. Taking a deep breath, he gathers strength and thinks, “I can make it to the Cottonwood.” Pausing, he calls the woman’s attention to the geese idling at the river’s edge. He wishes he were afloat – at his ease. He’d like to wipe the sweat ...