September 24, 2008
One of my favorite websites, Gratefulness.org, posted the Afterword from, Being One with Dying: Showing Up for the Great Matter by Joan Halifax Roshi. I liked this excerpt.
Death urges us to accept and appreciate our lives, to forgive ourselves and others, and to let go as the small self is dissolved into a larger stream of being. From the perspective of Buddhism, this is the greatest opportunity for awakening and freedom.This also might be good for reading at my funeral. The Swan by Rainer Maria Rilke, Read by Joanna Macy
I do think about death and I appreciate this confirmation that it is not some morbid obsession but a part of life to be ready for. My spouse remarked the other day at how many deaths has occurred recently either to those we know or someone close to our friends. I wrote the list down and it was surprising.
One long time friend was in that group and although the family notified us and other friends, there was a long delay before the service was scheduled and noticed in the paper. Not wanting to pester the family, we checked with each other to be sure we hadn't missed the announcement and wondered if there would be a service. I read recently about some island culture that might keep the body for a year to provide time to make sufficient preparations. It seemed like that was how it was for this family. The kids (along with many friends such as ourselves) had wonderful visits when he was still fully cognizant. No one knew how much time was left but he had time to be with friends and family especially each of his three kids. At his passing, there was no need for his kids scattered around the country to rush back; better to plan for an appropriate time.
One long time friend was in that group and although the family notified us and other friends, there was a long delay before the service was scheduled and noticed in the paper. Not wanting to pester the family, we checked with each other to be sure we hadn't missed the announcement and wondered if there would be a service. I read recently about some island culture that might keep the body for a year to provide time to make sufficient preparations. It seemed like that was how it was for this family. The kids (along with many friends such as ourselves) had wonderful visits when he was still fully cognizant. No one knew how much time was left but he had time to be with friends and family especially each of his three kids. At his passing, there was no need for his kids scattered around the country to rush back; better to plan for an appropriate time.
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