Aug 17, 2025

Living in Unconditional Love (231)

 

“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.

8/17/2025                               One of my favorite seasons has started: the corn-on-the-cob season. I look forward to this time of the year each year for there is nothing better tasting than fresh corn harvested and cooked in boiling water with butter and salt. I am afraid that the season will be short this year though. The person who I favor for my corn told me that a third of the corn he planted in the first two plantings did not grow and the third planting never grew at all due to the cold and rain this year.

The changing weather patterns do not bode well for the future. It has been hot and dry for the past two weeks after a season-long cool and rain filled time, and there is little chance for rain over the next week. Brown is starting to appear in the lawn and the grass has stopped growing quickly. I mowed for the first time in two weeks this past Thursday and with the heat I waited until 6 to start the mowing.

I still have some daylilies as well as some Orientpet garden lilies in bloom, but they are winding down. I have one very late daylily that has just started blooming so I will have some color, as well as many gladiolas just getting under way. I plant the gladiolas late and spread the plantings over three weeks to spread out the bright colors over the late season.

I spend most of the time inside to stay out of the heat. I take many naps as the meds make me very sleepy, but I feel surprising good for my age. I have no aches or pains and can walk well but slowly. Being tired all the time precludes me from any long trips and I am careful to avoid busy times when I do drive. I do most of my shopping at the local small store, going into the local Price Chopper every two weeks unless company comes.

I miss Eileen all the time, but I find being alone does not bother me. I enjoy the beauty of nature that constantly reveals itself through the windows and that feeds my soul. Nature is always evolving and giving me new wonders to behold.

The changing season is especially noticeable in the evening now that twilight and sundown are changing rapidly. We have lost over an hour of evening time but all is still beautiful. The bonsai look good but many need a trim, but it has been too hot to go out during the day. I may start going out in the evening as I could still get a short time to start trimming.

I will not comment on the sad world we live in.

Meditation

Gentle One, I rest easily in Your care and give back to You all the pain and suffering in the world. I ask Your forgiveness for as You said, “They know not what they do”. I look at the beauty of the world and hold in wonder that I have been given the gift of seeing the beauty and recognizing it as the beauty that it is. That gift is a wonder in itself and I hold that wonder of the gift in my heart.