and through it all we become better brothers and sisters

With each significant experience of life comes wisdom, and through it all we become better brothers and sisters to one another.....this I know.

My father died on June 27th. We were all there. I am grateful that he was surrounded by his family, enfolded in our love, talking singing BEING together until his last moment.

Gracefilled time, peacefilled time.

I am thankful he is no longer suffering in his body. I feel sore and broken in the part of me that misses him. I feel an incredible sense of strength when I am quiet and present. What a lesson that is.....be present, be present, be present....

To the ethereal Oneness.

To the only time and place his spirit is.

To the only time and place that is real.

To the only time and place where you are, where I am..

Be present.....it is our greatest gift to one another.

I don't know how to do this

To be in the world without my dad.

It's a little scary. If I'm totally honest....that's what I'd say

and in the same breath I know I'm not without my dad....he's with me....just in a different way....

....and through it all we become better brothers and sisters to one another...

When I meet someone who has experienced a loss, I will ask them about it. "What was it like?" I'll ask......"Tell me the story" I'll say....."How are you doing today?" I'll ask, days--weeks--months--years later, I'll keep asking.

And that's the point, isn't it?

To love each other

better with true understanding.

In his last days, he asked that we write a few things down....one of them was this: "We have to take care of each other.....we are responsible for each other....we really are One in the Spirit....that's the most important thing, we have to take care of each other...."

Amen to that, Pops.

We'll do that....as best as we can.....we'll do that.

And onward we go, one foot in front of the other, through this unchartered territory, with courage, holding our fear carefully with respect, and meeting the love of our tribe at every blessed turn....