Saturday, January 06, 2007

"Everything She touches changes"

I thought about talking about money today, and my lack thereof. It always seems to be more stressful at the beginning of a year what with health deductables and all. But then something (or somethings to be more specific) came up that I wanted to share.

First the sad news because I always want to end upbeat: Many years ago, I went to a retreat in central Minnesota that was put on by one of my friends/mentors. I met a woman there named Pat. She was in her fifties, I would guess, at the time...maybe not quite so old, but I wasn't quite as accurate with ages then.

I was searching...for something deeper...spiritually. And at the retreat, and in a subsequent one that I saw her, I recognized something in her of what I was looking for. She had found that deeper place. She practiced Native American spirituality (specifically plains/Dakota), and for awhile I thought perhaps this is where I would find my deepness as well. That wasn't ultimately the case, but her example gave me a model that was non-Christian and allowed me to explore and come to my own place of deepness today.

I share with her a dream in which she appeared as my grandmother, during one of the times I saw her. And I do think that she was something of that to me spiritually. I haven't seen her in years, although my friend has passed along tidbits about her life at times, and she will occassionally write for the same spirituality journal I do. Today I received the most recent copy of that journal and found a memorial to her.

I felt sad, but I also felt something of peace at her passing. She would have seen this as an entry into a new place and a new adventure. I honor her moving through the wheel of her life and my memories of her.

Now the good news:

Executive Director (henceforth to be called CityFriend because she isn't an executive director anymore) has had her baby. They have a baby blog that I'm dying to post here, but I need to ask permission first. I'm going to call the baby Punctual, for now because he was born on his due date.

I have to admit that babies are really not the most attractive creatures when they are first born. It's what makes them so endearing. Punctual is really not attractive...but, and this is a huge but, it's because the kid's already got definite bone structure. I think that CityFriend and her husband may have bred a potentially gorgeous child in Punctual.

So death and birth. I guess it doesn't get anymore basic than that.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"So death and birth. I guess it doesn't get anymore basic than that".

In a way, it's also been a comfort to me as well. A little while back, a friend of mine passed away in AZ, after a motorcycle accident, just a my niece was being born, as well in AZ, hospitals were about 10 miles apart. I felt the same way. It does boil down to the essence of life. Basic as it is, something to be celebrated on both ends. Have a great year Spins.

Anonymous said...

Full circle... Congrats to your friends. Nice post.

Aravis said...

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I like the description you gave of her vision of an afterlife. I hope she found the adventure she was looking for.

And congratulations to CityFriend on the birth of her baby! :0)