May 28, 2023

Living in Unconditional Love (116)

 

“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, and even though it is abating, I wear my mask some of the time I am out among people, unlike most.

05/27/2023                                                  I am still with Dan and Alesandra, Barb, and the three girls in Virginia. I am having fun and it is great to be with them. Madison, just having celebrated her 2-month birthday, is the most placid baby I have ever seen. She only fusses and cries if she is hungry, eats well, never seems to have gas, (that is she burbs easy), sleeps 3 hours or so and then lies there looking around and never uttering a peep until she is hungry again. She has started to smile on occasion and is a most unusual baby – and I have seen quite a few. As Dan has said, ‘who is this child?’ if the older sisters wake her up, unless they bang her and startle her, she just looks at them and lies there. She will wave her feet and fists around to exercise but just seems content. I suspect that will change soon as she grows and starts to move around more. Dan has said that she almost turned over the other day on the couch when she was lying on her stomach, one of the few times she has been on her stomach, but I haven’t seen her stretching like that in her regular beds.

She is a big baby, just having gone to the doctor for her two-month exam and getting her vaccinations being in the 99 percentiles in weight and length.

We went to a city fair today in Vienna, and it is quite a big deal. The girls took turns napping, but after they woke up Dan and Alesandra took them on a few rides. They loved the Merry-Go-Round and riding the horses, not wanting to leave, so Dan bought more tickets, and they rode for a while longer. What was even more surprising is that it was the Mackenzie, the almost two-year-old that really wanted to ride more, but Maria, who is three, is the one who displays more joy riding a real horse.

It is an amazing thing to watch these little ones, a product of the love shared by Eileen and I that produced our children and so life continues into the next generations. I am fortunate to be able to see the younger ones and enjoy them as they start to sample life.

The event, which is happening over the weekend, was jammed with families having fun, listening to bands, watching different events including a princess show. Naturally the girls wore their princess dresses, which they donned at the show. They were going to a different thing when they realized this was going on across town, so they phoned us to join them and bring the various princess dresses with us – and Maria has many! So, Barbara packed them into her car and off we went. Barb and I arrived too late for the princess show, but Dan and the girls saw some of it, and the girls picked out their dresses to wear for the day and Barbara put they others back in her car to bring them home. There were many little princesses running around the event today, and fancy painted faces were the thing, including Maria and Mackenzie.

It is a joy to be here and to be part of the fun, but I do miss my own place and especially my flowers and my hobbies. I will miss the girls and the excitement of the young family, but I will be happy to get back home to see the things that Eileen and I have loved. I have not changed anything (except the bed spread on our bed) in the house, as she had left it in pristine condition, extremely happy with everything. It seems like Eileen is just around the corner and that feels wonderful.

Meditation

 

Gentle One, I rest in You as always. You have guided me here, to bathe in the joy of babies and love, and I can not put into words the spirit that fills me when I am watching and being immersed in the love and joy of the young. I am amazed that You have filled my life with such everlasting love lets me see You in all that is.