In Memoriam

Panda

May 1996 - May 2008

I am a bit sad tonight. On Sunday evening, my little dog, Panda died -- age finally catching up with her. She was a good dog and a companion that could always make me smile. One of my favorite sounds in all the world were her little snores as I drifted into sleep. Here is a poem I wrote about "The Princess" (a well earned nickname) a few years ago:

Ode to Panda

Lonely rooms are enlivened by

the fur ball with feet

She greets me at the door

tail sashaying, eagerly prancing

Her canine grin calls forth

my answering smile

Certain of her inalienable right

Her imperious paw lays claim

to my attention and lap

Her gentle snores blanket the

long night with comfort

We share space, breathe the

same air

Always, she lingers near

Close at hand

Closer yet to heart

Spring Is In the Air

Spring is in the air. Your opportunity to indicate what you like best about spring on the little poll I have going, is about to expire. So far, it seems that more people like flowers blooming and trees budding best of all. This photo is one I particularly enjoy. My father took it last spring at the Botanical Gardens in Baton Rouge. My favorite flowers bloom in spring -- daffodils. My heart delights in their cheerful bright yellow color against earthy green stems. After a long gray winter it is a feast for the eyes to see all the vivid colors of spring. And you? What is your favorite flower and why? Post a comment, let me know!

Honoring, Remembering

April is National Crime Victims Memorial month. For those who have lost loved ones through violence, a time designated for remembering can be important and a reassurance that the broader community acknowledges that grief is never completely swept away by the passage of time. For a while now I have been wondering what it is about April in particular that makes it rife with tragic events -- isn't mid to late April when so many violent tragedies have struck? The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma, the stand off in Waco at the David Karesh compound, Columbine, Virginia Tech?? Why? Why this time? If you have any ideas, post a comment. If there is anyone you would like to remember during this National Crime Victims Memorial month, list their name in a comment.

The Lingering Hours

Some of my fondest memories are of times spent around a table, sipping coffee, losing track of time in the midst of good company and conversation. The tables may be different, the faces change from time to time, but there is a universal quality to the time -- lingering hours -- where we pause, where we stay present, where we listen and share new stories and old tales, philosophical speculations and only-in-that-moment humor. In the lingering hours tasks are laid aside, agendas lost, and watches forgotten. Such times open up the possibility for rising to numinousness, when all present are fully present in the moment, attentive, engaged, open, free, connected one with all present, all with each one present. This is communion through and true. Cherish lingering hours.

Flutter Ballet

Last week I took a few days vacation and went to visit friends in Cleveland. Now most people this time of the year head to warm climes -- I headed north where winter still has a strong hold along Lake Erie. Despite the chilly cold and snow flurries, I had a great time. It is always good to connect with friends. While in Cleveland, I had the opportunity to go to the Botanical Gardens and dawdle awhile in their "Glass House." In the "Glass House" they have re-created two distinct habitats -- one mimicking Madagascar and the other a Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. One dry, the other humid. In the cloud forest section there were dozens and dozens of beautiful butterflies. These butterflies were fascinating to observe. I tried to watch every flutter and turn of their spritely dance, but it was difficult to keep up. Every so often, one would land on a stem or leaf and for a few minutes I could observe their intricate patterns and brilliant colors. Like a butterfly on wing life flees past with unexpected turns and happenstance meetings, a beautiful and chaotic dance that we are not able to predict. As I watched the butterflies, they did not always go where I thought they would. I could not determine any kind of pattern to their dipping and soaring and pirouetting in midair. So too, life may bring us to unexpected places or almost forgotten faces, and we turn in surprising new directions to continue the dance.

Progress Seasoned with Humility

Where would we be without good friends? I was talking with my good friend, Sharon (on the left in the above photo) the other day. In the course of our conversation, I shared with her that I had started this blog -- she just started laughing. She reminded me that she knew me way back when -- when I wanted next to nothing to do with computers, when I thought computers were tearing away at the fabric of community, when I would have rather directed a second week of vacation Bible school rather than get online. Ah, thanks be for Sharon who knows me well enough to know my foibles but cares for me in spite of them. These are the kind of friends that keep us humble. I suppose I will never be one to rush to acquire new technology but eventually I can be pulled into this century. Computers are indeed valuable tools. Computers may provide a modicum of social networking. Computers make many aspects of life a little easier to handle. This progress is to be celebrated. But less progress get too puffed up, it helps to remember that there are still some things that a computer cannot replace -- emoticons fall short of a genuine face to face smile; e-mails lack the rich personality of a handwritten letter; and my computer has yet to give me a hug! So Sharon helps keep me humble. Who helps keep the computer humble?

The Discipline of Gratitude

A spiritual discipline that helps keep me mindful of God's steadfast, abiding presence is a gratitude journal. One of the last things I do before turning out the light to go to sleep, is to write a prayer to God listing at least five things for which I am thankful that day. This is not an original idea -- I think I heard it suggested on "Oprah" years ago. It also certainly hearkens back to the old hymn "Count Your Blessings" and even further back to the Psalms that offer praise for how the writer has seen God at work. Of all the spiritual disciplines, this is the one I have followed most faithfully and most consistently over the years. Now granted, some days I have trouble coming up with five things specific to that day to list. On those days there is always the basic five I can go back to -- family, friends, my dog, a good job, a warm home, food to eat. However, I will take time to reflect on the day and try to come up with more detailed or timely items to list. Maybe I am thankful for the beauty of the forsythia blooming or for the smell of fresh ground coffee or for the kind words someone said or for making it safely home around the DC beltway. Often the items I list are events where I have seen God's gentle, persuasive presence at work in the lives and world around me. Pausing at the end of the day to write a little prayer of gratitude is a way to praise & honor God. It is also a way to lift my spirits. So for March 24, I am thankful for: 1. the modern technology of the Internet 2. a phone conversation with my mom who lives in Baton Rouge 3. a washer and dryer on the same level as all my living space 4. a few days off this week after Easter 5. Panda (my dog, see photo) sleeping at my feet as I sit here at the computer. Thanks be!