And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
From the poem “When Great Trees Fall” by Maya Angelou
Just a few days ago I lost my beloved dog, abruptly, unexpectedly. Even as I grieve this significant loss, I am finding ways to remember and celebrate his brief and wondrous life. These four-legged beings sure do find a very special place in our homes and in our hearts.
As I took my morning walk this morning I noticed his absence. He was my faithful companion in the woods. Frolicking freely, with his own agenda, discovering scents, sights and sounds in every nook and cranny. Living fully in the present moment. What a great teacher he was.
I realize that there is death all around us, always. There are creatures, critters, trees, and other life constantly making their transition in the woods unnoticed. Unnoticed by us humans, that is. We don’t celebrate their lives or honor their deaths with beautiful ceremonies. Yet I wonder, are their lives and their contributions to this planet any less meaningful?
As we get close to celebrating Halloween and/or Day of the Dead, I hope we can take a pause to remember not just what an incredible privilege it is to be alive, but to also honor those that have died–who were in some big or small way connected to our well-being.
We live in a society that seems to deny, shy away from, reject the notion of death. But we don’t need to. We gathered at Earthseed Land to honor Twinkles’ memory. We took a sacred pause. We got (and get) to embrace death as an inevitable, sometimes heartbreaking, magnificent part of this circle we call life. During this season (and always): may we honor all of our ancestors, celebrate their lives and honor their legacies still alive in us.
Twinkles Tiny Robinson Quenepas El Chivito Nutrcacker El Tigre Rao-Rao: You were/are loved. May you rest in peace.
