If I had to make a list of the most dependable things in my life, it would be a pretty short list. I’ve lost a ton of faith in humanity over the years, my favorite TV shows keep getting cancelled, and I’m pretty sure my smartphone is plotting against me. But there are two things that have never, ever let me down: Elvis Presley and barbecue.

Odd pairing? Maybe. But in a year when life felt like it was being written by John Steinbeck and directed by Tim Burton, they’ve been my lifelines. And what I’ve come to realize is that we all need something—some small, dependable comforting go-to— that can anchor us when everything else goes sideways.

This weekend, my dad and I made our third pilgrimage to a barbecue restaurant since my mom passed away. It’s become our thing, I suppose – two guys who

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