Sunday, April 10, 2011

Does the Candle Keep Burning?

Last night's pouring rain finalized the seasonal transition process. The snow--other than a few straggler piles left by the snowplow--is gone. Faded brown leaves and deep brown earth are now visible to the naked eye (they gradually emerged as early morning fog vanished into deepening day).

I practiced T'ai Chi Chih today during a particular time, the time set aside for my cousin's memorial service in Tucson, AZ. While I moved I thought about this cousin who died unexpectedly last month, about her mother and sister, her three daughters, and a recent grandchild.

One of my brothers planned to attend the service. I decided that I could be there, too, through a Reiki and Chi energy connection. It felt good to connect over hundreds of miles, to think of my extended family members and wish them well, to imagine being present in their midst, and to offer them love and healing energy.

After practice I lit a candle and placed it next to my keyboard. I wanted to be reminded of the light that my cousin brought into the world: the children she raised, the nonprofit organizations she supported, and the compassion she felt for diverse peoples and projects.

Now the candle has gone out and my attention has returned to the woods where I'm engaged in my work-at-home chores. Hopefully life goes on for all of us, living and dead. For the moment, though, I'll just have to wait and see....

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