Jul 20, 2025

Living in Unconditional Love (227)

 

“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.

07/20.2025                             A quiet week indeed. The garden is beautiful with the daylilies at their peak and some of the lilies beginning to bloom. The weather is hot during the day, but the ac is working great to keep things cool. A pleasant week and I enjoyed the garden as the soil is still damp from all the rain. I was amazed when I mowed the lower lawn and still found standing water in some areas.

Dan and Alesandra’s youngest, Madison, had an adventure at school. She just turned two in March, and she started to school in March even before her birthday. They had “Madison Week” this past week, and she got to pick out various things each day. One day was to choose the lunch, and she choose Mac and Cheese. She filled each dish, and the pictures showed she was concerned that each child had enough and walked around to make sure. She took the responsibility seriously (wearing a crown to show her authority). The pictures were really cute. Even two-year olds can learn and accept certain duties and do them well. The school is really good for all the children, and Madison is the youngest child by six months. She picked out two books to read another day and Dan went in and read them to the class, I assume in English since he does not speak Spanish that I know.

The deer seem to have left the area as the flowers all seem to be doing well. Or else the spray helped to keep them away.

The damage to Tim and Julies’ garden was extensive, with almost all leaves stripped off everything by the hail. The county park where they have their garden was closed for two weeks after storm on July 3^rd and just opened again. About 70 trees were felled by the storm, and of course any plantings were destroyed. About half of their tomato plants survived, and were showing some re-growth when they were allowed back in to survey the damage so they will have some by the end of the season. They replanted when they could, and their cousin, Joe Rogers, sent them a flat of plants they had, a nice gesture which they appreciated greatly.

Meditation

Gentle One, I lay the sad condition of our world in Your hands. Forgive our blind eyes to the suffering of the poor, and deaths at the hands of greedy tyrants, including, for the first time since the abolishment of slavery, the deliberate killing by deprivation by our nation. I offer my love and aid where I can in this time of need.