~O tender heart, with your mosaic, root your wisdom and let it be~
In her beautiful starlit way, she came into the garage and shyly peeked her head around. Her uncertainty, her innocent curiosity, and her amazing bravery are what struck me. This beautiful young fifteen-year-old was ready to beckon the scene of her father’s death, and she was doing so with what only grace could give–moving within the humility of the unknown. Continue reading
~Our enduring nature–in the steadfast echoes of eternal infinity, is the motion of stillness~
It has been a year since my last post. A year since climbing a mountain where my daughter and I brought his ashes home and released them to the wind. I have needed that time–percolating the inwardness, percolating the understanding to endure, percolating deep patience and deep forgiveness–of myself. Continue reading
“The spreading of ashes – the final return”
On this day, the mountains, lakes, and streams are my Universe. On this day, the sounds of the wind, rain, and even the clouds are my calling prayers in meditation. On this day, the rays of the sun glistening through the aspen are the warming presence in the lofty shadows that follow. And on this day, the prism of the double rainbow streaming across the distant valley is the omnipresence of Spirit in all things. Continue reading
~Presence, our wholeness as it is — the poetry of living~
When I reflect on my spirituality I think of the lifelong yearning and knowing of spirit moving through me, around me, and within me. I think of the blessings of spiritual traditions and of the benevolence of the beautiful teachers who have bestowed their graciousness towards me when I’ve taken that bold step towards them. I think of all of the miraculous healing in the everyday life surrounding faith. I think of all of the goodness of each and every being–and I do my best to feel it. Continue reading
~the mingled breath of wholeness – the draw of who we are~
Taking that deep breath which moves us to our place of peace and inner stillness, that is the draw of who we are. Breath is the phenomenal brilliance of our origin. It is the radiant sensation of grace that creates the beautiful glow in our existence. It is our generosity, our patience, our tolerance, and our wisdom. Breath is our compassion. It is our loving kindness. It is us. We are our breath, we are our place of peace and inner stillness. We are the draw of who we are. Continue reading
~the survivorship of suicide loss-the authentic rendering of a mind in need~
It seems that at any one time, we are all at some constant fluctuating level of a mind in need. We have needs for understanding, needs for acceptance, needs to be loved, needs for companionship, needs for adjustment of who we are now which is different from who we were a moment ago. Continue reading
~year one of living after suicide loss-the beauty of love is the eternity of forever~
More now than ever I understand that I will carry this loss and tragedy with me forever–in my memories, in my thoughts, in all the life events past and future, with all of the familiar faces and places–in all of the “what will be’s”–I will carry it with me eternally. This is what I have concretely learned in this first year. Continue reading
~the mending of suicide loss-kindred patterns woven in the stream of light~
My therapist assures me that I am not “crazy”. I have used this word countlessly in my therapy sessions-unable to come up with another word in context-that I feel like I am going crazy, that the situation is crazy, the total experience of grief is crazy, how could this happen-crazy, how does this sort of thing happen-crazy, the whirlwind of this journey-crazy, the spiritual experience of it all-amazingly, lovingly, painfully crazy. Continue reading
~the engagement of suicide loss-comforting its place as the late season blooms~
The police have teams assigned for situations like this. There was the response team for the 911 call, an officer partnered with the local fire chaplain, additional police that seemed to be support persons for the scene, another officer who became the point of contact for the police report, and the medical examiner along with those he brought with him. Continue reading
~the grief of suicide loss-the lifetimes of existence, ever reaching to the hearts of many~
In those first weeks to months after his passing, the word grief became a universal descriptor. As I experienced how tangible his essence was around me–in every part of our home, in every part of my memories, in every part of my questioning–I understood that he was also a part of the existence within the existence of my life. He wasn’t going anywhere and he was absorbed into me immediately. Everything that I was absorbing, everything that I was feeling and everything that I could feel conglomerated into that descripting swirl of grief. Continue reading
The Muse of Wildflowers 