Sep 15, 2024

Living in Unconditional Love (184)

 

“Love flows from God to humans without effort:

As a bird glides through the air without moving its wings-

Thus, they go wherever they wish united in body and soul,

Yet separate in form.”

–Mechtild of Magdeburg

 

My wife Eileen died from esophageal cancer in February 2020 one year after being diagnosed, 60 years after we met on Long Island. Then my brother Tom became ill (not COVID), and I spent a total of six weeks being with him in Ohio, but he died in October 2020. My sister-in-law Sue Mahoney died from Covid-19 in January 2021. On top of it all stood the pandemic, locking everyone down almost two years. Covid has proved to be a persistent problem, and many of the long-term effects are quite serious, and it has proven much more serious than flu.

09/15/2024                                                    Middle of September and we are having summer weather after a long period of cool (60s and 70s) and wet weather. It is nice to have the warm weather back and I am enjoying it greatly. I had been using the heat selection on my AC heat pump unit, but I have switched it back to cool again.

I had a wonderful gift on Saturday when my son Drew came over for the afternoon with his two little ones, Huntley (7) and Clara (going on 5). We had a great time both indoors and out, going down to the pond, then they (not me) ventured down to the barn and out to the stream not far from the road. The kids dumped many if not all the toys kept downstairs for a couple of hours playtime (they did pick them up before leaving) before venturing outside. The sun was bright and hardly a cloud to be seen, and all looked delightful. Tim H had rebuilt the various stairs including the dock stairs at the pond, so all was flat, and the railings were solid. We had a great time both in and out.

This was a quiet week, which was good, and nothing extraordinary occurred, which is always good. That said, I heard during the week that one of my friends at church, who had just turned 99 over Labor Day weekend, is lying unresponsive in the nursing home where she had moved this summer after falling several times. She had been fiercely independent up to that time, and she has lived a good life. She will be missed by all. I learned on Sunday that she had died on Saturday.

The garden looks good, even a few late daylilies blooming plus some fall blooming bulbs, plus a few other blooms here and there. These bulbs are interesting: the leaves show up in the spring, but the blooms are in the fall. Nice bright spots right beside the bridge leading the barn. The glads are still not blooming, but I hope soon. They seem to taking longer than usual this year; the cool and wet summer may be the cause.

Meditation

Gentle One, You continue to shower me with joy and peace. The love of family and friends fill my days, and I am blessed with little effects of aging, except for some instability, some weakness, and tiredness. But no pain to speak of, and am surrounded by beauty beyond measure. I am grateful for all I have and am trying to extend my love to our world which has so much pain.