I can feel it in the air. Summer and all that it entails is on the way out, and autumn is about to segue into the city.
A few weeks ago, I was in Paris with friends and relatives enjoying the last throes of summertime in the city of light. We visited shops, restaurants, cafes, parks and museums jacket-free and foot-sandled. We took an evening Seine River cruise watching the twinkling Eiffel Tower and the brilliant sunset that accompanied it. And then...BAM! The last two days of rain and wind came upon us, indicating that even the French are facing the same seasonal changes we were anticipating.
On our return, I could feel the change approaching. The days are getting shorter. The sun's light has a different slant and feel and reflection. The moon is rising higher and the night sky is changing...different stars and constellations are making their return to the soon to be winter sky. Orion, Ursa Major and Minor, and Cassiopeia are making their annual appearance in the night skies along with the planets Mars, Venus and Jupiter. These twinkling lights make stargazing this time of year a joy, and I often spend evenings just watching the eastern sky as they move across it.
It is always sad when summer leaves the scene. Back in time when I was a student, it meant a return to the classroom and more studying, returning from our summers in the countryside, returning to our urban neighborhood in New York City and getting back into the normal routine. That pattern continued as I taught school: for me the year ended in August and began in September.
But nowadays, as the leaves start to turn orange, red and gold, I think of times past, and the years that have seemed to fly by me. How life is changing all the time, as fast as the summer leaves turn to flame and, once brown and withered, fall to the ground.
This time of year seems to bring out the melancholy that rests easy in my spring and summer soul. I often think about Marcel Proust and his lengthy literary work "Remembrance of Things Past" ( in French "A la recherché des temps perdu"). This is considered to be one of the defining novels of the twentieth century known for its theme of involuntary memory. These moments of being drawn into a moment of memory triggered by a sound, a sight, a smell or even a sensation often happen this time of year. The sound of the rake scrapping up the fallen leaves; the sight of autumnal colored branches swaying on a blustery day; the smell of apples baking in a cake or pie; the sensation of the autumn wind blowing against your face and messing your hair: these triggers can cause those involuntary memories to rise up and capture you unawares.
And...this is not a bad thing. Some melancholy can be good for the soul as long as we don't sit in it for too long. Luckily for us, winter is never far behind the fall. The season filled with festivities that brings with it the anticipation of things soon to be...new life and hope And hope does spring eternal.
.
One of my favorites:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=autumn+leaves+barbara+striestand&form=EDGEAR&qs=PF&cvid=8fea62527b2947698feb703669c47aa3&pq=autumn+leaves+barbara+striestand
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
One hymn, two congregations
This past Sunday I got to attend church twice at two very different congregations. One located in a residential section of a New York City outer borough, the other smack-dab in the middle of Manhattan where Broadway and Fifth Avenue cross nestled nicely at the edge of a lovely city park.
One is a housed congregation, the other is in an open space that is subject to the various twists and turns of local weather in the Northeast United States. In one I read the Gospel, introduced the prayers, and dismissed the faithful in my role as deacon of that congregation. In the other, although I was asked to read the reading from Jeremiah, I got to spend the rest of the time just being part of the congregation...a nice change for me.
Both groups shared prayers for peace and understanding. Both groups prayed for a member of the congregation celebrating milestones, whether it was a child returning from a trip to visit relatives in Europe, or a member celebrating a milestone birthday. Each group recited the "Lord's Prayer" together, most from memory, and both groups partook of a shared communion of bread and either wine or grape juice. And...both groups got to sing the same rousing hymn at the service.
"God of Grace and God of Glory" was written in 1930 for the dedication of Riverside Church in Manhattan by its then pastor, Harry Emerson Fosdick, ordained Baptist minister and former World War I chaplain. Fosdick was a strong supporter of the social gospel movement; the hymn was written while the nation, and indeed the world, was in the throws of the Great Depression. The repeated call :"Grant us wisdom; grant us courage..," definitely spoke to the members of his congregation, and soon the hymn, which is now sung to that classic Welsh tune "Cwe Rhodda"...don't ask me to pronounce it...I know it when I hear it...is now widely sung throughout mainline Protestant congregations . It is a real rouser with great high notes for tenors and sopranos to trill about, but baritones and altos...like me...can also join with joyful noise.
But just what are we asking for when we engage in this particular hymn? Well, the answer to that question lies at the end of every stanza: For the facing of these days; for the living of this hour; lest we miss they kingdom's goal; and serving thee whom we adore. Pretty straightforward, and it certainly still speaks to us today.
But in my study of this hymn, I discovered a stanza not in the hymnal:
One is a housed congregation, the other is in an open space that is subject to the various twists and turns of local weather in the Northeast United States. In one I read the Gospel, introduced the prayers, and dismissed the faithful in my role as deacon of that congregation. In the other, although I was asked to read the reading from Jeremiah, I got to spend the rest of the time just being part of the congregation...a nice change for me.
Both groups shared prayers for peace and understanding. Both groups prayed for a member of the congregation celebrating milestones, whether it was a child returning from a trip to visit relatives in Europe, or a member celebrating a milestone birthday. Each group recited the "Lord's Prayer" together, most from memory, and both groups partook of a shared communion of bread and either wine or grape juice. And...both groups got to sing the same rousing hymn at the service.
"God of Grace and God of Glory" was written in 1930 for the dedication of Riverside Church in Manhattan by its then pastor, Harry Emerson Fosdick, ordained Baptist minister and former World War I chaplain. Fosdick was a strong supporter of the social gospel movement; the hymn was written while the nation, and indeed the world, was in the throws of the Great Depression. The repeated call :"Grant us wisdom; grant us courage..," definitely spoke to the members of his congregation, and soon the hymn, which is now sung to that classic Welsh tune "Cwe Rhodda"...don't ask me to pronounce it...I know it when I hear it...is now widely sung throughout mainline Protestant congregations . It is a real rouser with great high notes for tenors and sopranos to trill about, but baritones and altos...like me...can also join with joyful noise.
But just what are we asking for when we engage in this particular hymn? Well, the answer to that question lies at the end of every stanza: For the facing of these days; for the living of this hour; lest we miss they kingdom's goal; and serving thee whom we adore. Pretty straightforward, and it certainly still speaks to us today.
But in my study of this hymn, I discovered a stanza not in the hymnal:
"Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee."
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee."
I will admit that this stanza has some language that as a life long feminist, I find a bit,well, paternalistic, but the sentiment still holds true. In this season of electoral decision, I think we need to remember that our charge is to choose the person most qualified to lead this nation into a future where our overarching responsibility will be to further the rights and responsibilities of all of those who live, move and have there being in our home nation.
Here is a rendition of the hymn:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=god+of+garac+eand+god+of+glory...you+tuebe&&view=detail&mid=07CCED045503B9C37E7A07CCED045503B9C37E7A&rvsmid=C8C75E2584C601F4BEC7C8C75E2584C601F4BEC7&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV
Here is a rendition of the hymn:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=god+of+garac+eand+god+of+glory...you+tuebe&&view=detail&mid=07CCED045503B9C37E7A07CCED045503B9C37E7A&rvsmid=C8C75E2584C601F4BEC7C8C75E2584C601F4BEC7&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Waiting for those who work.....
I am having a walk-in shower installed in my apartment. It is amazing how many different trades are involved in this task: designers, contractors, plumbers, tillers, glassmakers, and others are all involved in removing the old tub, upgrading the plumbing pipes, installing specialized flooring, laying the "mud" or mortar for the floor tiles, measure and measure again to get the correct measurements for the wall tile..carefully cut each tile to make the corners match and line up evenly. These gentlemen, and I do mean that in all due respect, are indeed master craftsmen whose creations and knowledge of their "trade" enrich our lives.
And the work of these folks, as well as those of carpenters, cabinet makers, stone masons, violin makers, mechanics, welders, ironworkers, and electricians take many years to hone and refine. These are careers that involve a strong basis in pure mathematics and a knowledge of the sciences like chemistry and physics that need to be mastered in real life situations. My own children will attest to the fact that I have declared many times that all things are either geometry or physics...or a combination of both: baseball, bowling, soccer, tennis, football, hockey; these all have elements of both in their execution. And if we taught math and science with an eye to theses applications, more students would be directly involved in learning these important skills instead of asking, "Why do I have to learn: fill in the blank geometry, algebra, physics, chemistry?" Educators need to show the practical applications in the real world as well as the formulistic equations and graphs that can be applied to the world of work.
During my tenure as an Intermediate School Teacher, I was exposed to the work of the Salvadori Institute that was connected with the architecture department at City College of New York. They taught the application of pure mathematics and physics in the built environment. Inspired by my summer fellowship with them, one, by the way, I was told by a supervisor I was NOT eligible to take because I was a social studies teacher, I introduced a unit on the bridges of New York and challenged my students to learn the history of NYC bridges and create models of them. It was an exciting unit, and one I did at the end of the school year after the regular curriculum was finished. It was a huge success, and wound up being a real feather in the cap of our school. Some of my students, not just the "honor" kids, had their creations exhibited at the Institute's fundraising event that year. I also got to take a class to CCNY to meet other students from other NYC schools who shared their work and vision for a new re-creation of the site of the recently destroyed World Trade Center.
What was important to me at the time was that my students, most of them students of color, had never been on a college campus, nor had they seen the diversity of our city university colleges up close. And even though I was NOT their math or science teacher, the students were able to see that math, angles, density of materials, force, gravity, and other mathematical and scientific facts they had studied actually had real life implications. lesson all of our students should be exposed to in this age.
Manufacturing jobs are NOT coming back to the United States...get over it. But, there will be a demand for people with trade skills, mathematical understanding and scientific thinking who will be building our future. Let us bring back real vocational/technical education in high school or post high school to make sure we continue to have the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women to lead us on. And let us make sure all of our students have the opportunity to be exposed to the possibility of doing this important work.
And the work of these folks, as well as those of carpenters, cabinet makers, stone masons, violin makers, mechanics, welders, ironworkers, and electricians take many years to hone and refine. These are careers that involve a strong basis in pure mathematics and a knowledge of the sciences like chemistry and physics that need to be mastered in real life situations. My own children will attest to the fact that I have declared many times that all things are either geometry or physics...or a combination of both: baseball, bowling, soccer, tennis, football, hockey; these all have elements of both in their execution. And if we taught math and science with an eye to theses applications, more students would be directly involved in learning these important skills instead of asking, "Why do I have to learn: fill in the blank geometry, algebra, physics, chemistry?" Educators need to show the practical applications in the real world as well as the formulistic equations and graphs that can be applied to the world of work.
During my tenure as an Intermediate School Teacher, I was exposed to the work of the Salvadori Institute that was connected with the architecture department at City College of New York. They taught the application of pure mathematics and physics in the built environment. Inspired by my summer fellowship with them, one, by the way, I was told by a supervisor I was NOT eligible to take because I was a social studies teacher, I introduced a unit on the bridges of New York and challenged my students to learn the history of NYC bridges and create models of them. It was an exciting unit, and one I did at the end of the school year after the regular curriculum was finished. It was a huge success, and wound up being a real feather in the cap of our school. Some of my students, not just the "honor" kids, had their creations exhibited at the Institute's fundraising event that year. I also got to take a class to CCNY to meet other students from other NYC schools who shared their work and vision for a new re-creation of the site of the recently destroyed World Trade Center.
What was important to me at the time was that my students, most of them students of color, had never been on a college campus, nor had they seen the diversity of our city university colleges up close. And even though I was NOT their math or science teacher, the students were able to see that math, angles, density of materials, force, gravity, and other mathematical and scientific facts they had studied actually had real life implications. lesson all of our students should be exposed to in this age.
Manufacturing jobs are NOT coming back to the United States...get over it. But, there will be a demand for people with trade skills, mathematical understanding and scientific thinking who will be building our future. Let us bring back real vocational/technical education in high school or post high school to make sure we continue to have the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women to lead us on. And let us make sure all of our students have the opportunity to be exposed to the possibility of doing this important work.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Biding the time through November...
I don't know about you, but I am so very done with presidential politics. I don't want to have any more conversations with friends, family, neighbors or aquaintances debating the merits or demerits of the various and sundry folk who are currently running for elected offices in our nation. I instead intend to make some personal space and time for knitting, reading, praying, meditating, swimming, and eating watermelon.
Knitting is a skill I learned in grade school, my best friend at Nativity School, Dorothy Jane Zilkowski, and I would knit together. I learned to knit watching my mother who, although she was right-handed, knitted left-handed because she was taught by a left-handed friend. I learned the basics from Mom, but Dorothy taught me the nuances of creating patterns with differing stitches. I began by following patterns, and later on began to create patterns of my own relying on the algebraic equation mantra that one side of the equation must equal the other side I create Irish knit scarves making up patterns based on seed stitches, simple cables and bobbles. They are obviously not the traditional patterns, but my own creations. Currently I am working on a shawl that has about six inches to completion and am already thinking aobut the next project.
Reading, done well, needs continued honing. When I was a student, I was required to read many academic texts since I majored in History and later became a teacher. Teachers have to do lots of reading to keep up with new developments in the profession. When I got my second Master's in Theology/Church History, I got to do quite a bit of reading original documents for my research and thesis. But now my reading is more for pleasure. I tend to read mysteries while traveling and non-fiction if I need to sharpen the grey matter. Unfortunately, reading local newspapers has lost its charm, and I now cherry-pick my daily diet of NewYork Times, The Daily News and Staten Island Advance articles. Crossword puzzles are still personal favorites,but that is another story for another day.
Praying is a daily discipline, although I have to admit, sometimes I let prayer time slip aside for other events that I might think are more pressing. This is not a good thing, setting aside some time every day to do this is a personal challenge and goal. In the Christian tradition, similar to both Judaism and Islam, various daily prayer times are carved out: Matins, Noon Prayer, Evening Prayer and Compline ( also known as Vespers) traditionally frame the prayer lives of those in Christian monastic communities and provide a structure for personal devotion. My personal goal is to intergrate Morning Paryer and Compline into my life.
Meditation techniques were introduced to me by the Rev. Claire MacPherson at General Seminary. I have tried several types over the years and have settled on a modified Buddhist meditative practice involving controlled breathing and focusing. I have actually used these techniques with unruly classes and nervous teacher/candidates with excellent results. I find this practice is also handy when I am forced by events I have little or no control over such as standing in long lines at stores, banks or international customs.
Swimming is a summer time indulgence that just gets better and better. I live quite close to a city municipal pool that opens for special senior water aerobics early in the morning. The class allows me to get in some quality exercise and swim time four times a week throughout the summer months. I miss it tremendously once the pool shuts down in September.
Watermelon?? What can I say???...the proverbial summer fruit/food. I don't think I have ever met anyone who dislikes watermelon, and sharing it is one way to bring a smile to the faces of anyone who is given a piece. I do like the newer varieties that are virtually seedless.
So, I am trying to occupy my mind with sunny summer distractions so I don't have to think too much about the craziness of our American election madness. I just wish I was more successful at filtering it all out.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Hot Time, Summer in the City...
| Lyon's Pool SI,NY |
Across New York City there are municipal pools. Some are indoor, others are outside and only open during the mummer months. This year the pools are opened until September 2nd. The three on Staten Island, where I live, are often underutilized. I live around the corner from Lyons Pool and Recreational Center. In Fall, Winter and Spring, I use the cardio-room and its treadmill at lest three times a week. In the summer I go to the early water aerobics class Monday through Thursday. It is a forty-five minute workout. There are also swimming classes for children and adults plus lap swimming in the morning and evening. One of my favorite things about living here is sitting on the roof deck listening to the children enjoying their time at the pool.
| Jacob Riis Park |
And lest we forget, New York is a city based on islands on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean; there are numerous beaches in four of the five boroughs: Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx have more than their fair share of lovely beaches which are free to the public. From Midland Beach on Staten Island to the beautiful shore of Jacob Riis Park in Queens, Coney Island in Brooklyn and Orchard Beach in the Bronx, these beaches can be reached by subway, bus or car and offer cooling sea breezes to any resident who has a bathing suit, beach towel, an umbrella and a Metro-Card in hand. Bring along a cooler with a few sandwiches and cold drinks (non-alcoholic only permitted), and you can spend a day at rest "by the beautiful sea."
Another New York institution is free "Shakespeare in the Park" offered every summer by the Public Theater. I recall watching Raul Julia and Meryl Streep early in their careers in "The Taming of the Shrew", a great production of "As You Like It", and others over the course of living here. Nowadays, I do not want to wait on long lines for the tickets, but now the Public distributes free tickets in the boroughs. And here is a hint, if you can get to Staten Island, the ticket availability here is very good.
| Bethesda Fountain |
If it either rains or gets too hot to stay outside, there are several local museums that are both free and air conditioned! These include the National Museum of the American Indian, a branch of the Smithsonian Institute which is located at Bowling Green near the SI Ferry. The American Folk Art Museum near Lincoln Center is also free and houses a great collection of Amish quilts. Other free museums include The Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Harbor Defense Museum at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, The Hispanic Society of America and the New York Public Library building at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Oh, by the way, all public libraries have free public bathrooms as well.
And remember, the ultimate free New York experience is riding the Staten Island Ferry. Just be careful that you don't fall for one of the Statue of Liberty/harbor tour ticket hawkers. The SI Ferry is free, round trip takes about an hour ( you have to get off in SI, walk around to the waiting area to get the boat back, or you can walk along Bay Street to Pier 76 and get a great pizza for less than it would cost in Manhattan), and you can take all the photos of the harbor and statue that you want. Just, please, let us natives sit on the Brooklyn side in peace to read our paper. If you want to impress your significant other, take her/him on the ferry leaving at sunset and sit at the back.
| Staten Island Ferry |
So, there you go, boys and girls...lots to do here if you decide that a staycation is for you this summer. Just remember, we have to share our city with tourists. We depend on them to bolster our economy...smile and keep walking.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Tell them right now.
A few weeks ago, I was informed that a friend from my past had died, and a memorial service was to be held at one of my former parishes. For several years we had been good friends. She came over for holiday dinners, went to baseball games with the hubby and kids; took care of the dog when we went on vacation, and drew up our will...she was a lawyer.
As things sometimes happen, we wound up on opposite sides of a rather sticky situation. We met to talk it out. She presented me with a ultimatum, a caveat, a requirement that she decided I had to meet in order for our friendship to continue. This caveat was dependent on my relationship with a third party, one she felt she had to protect. I said I would not, and could not do what she insisted I had to do in order to remain in any kind of fellowship. She informed me that our friendship was over and walked out. She chose to sacrifice our friendship for the support of others she felt beholden to. We never spoke again.
At her funeral, I felt some pangs of guilt, but realized that we all make our choices in life, and sometimes we are not the focal point in the lives of others. People come into and out of our lives. They do things we like; they do things we hate. Sometimes we understand why they do what they do, and other times we just don't get it.
This afternoon I attended a memorial service for the son of a parishioner who had committed suicide. This was a man in the prime of his life...44 years old who was trying to reconnect with his son and his son's mother. His family, especially his father and brother, finally recognized that he was suffering from depression and had attempted to get him some real assistance in dealing with his personal demons.
I had met this man when his Mom died and he arranged her funeral. He was charming and confident. He handled every detail and was a remarkable presence at her funeral service. He was the rock for the rest of the family. What happened?
Because of things beyond his control he later felt that he was not living up to his potential; that he could have done things better. His depression made it impossible for him to see that he was loved, honored and respected by many folk who knew him. The darkness had consumed him so very much that he could not see the brightness he had bought to the lives of family and friends who truly loved and cared for him. Depression is a terrible thing. I have seen its effects on many friends, acquaintances and family members. The heartache it brings is all consuming.So many people at the memorial service spoke about how his mere presence in their lives made them better people. He should have heard that; I think it would have made a difference in his life.
Wonder what the lesson is here? Don't cut off your nose despite your face. Don't put restrictions and caveats on friendship. You will lose in the end. And, just as important, let those you love and respect know how much you value their presence in your life.
As things sometimes happen, we wound up on opposite sides of a rather sticky situation. We met to talk it out. She presented me with a ultimatum, a caveat, a requirement that she decided I had to meet in order for our friendship to continue. This caveat was dependent on my relationship with a third party, one she felt she had to protect. I said I would not, and could not do what she insisted I had to do in order to remain in any kind of fellowship. She informed me that our friendship was over and walked out. She chose to sacrifice our friendship for the support of others she felt beholden to. We never spoke again.
At her funeral, I felt some pangs of guilt, but realized that we all make our choices in life, and sometimes we are not the focal point in the lives of others. People come into and out of our lives. They do things we like; they do things we hate. Sometimes we understand why they do what they do, and other times we just don't get it.
This afternoon I attended a memorial service for the son of a parishioner who had committed suicide. This was a man in the prime of his life...44 years old who was trying to reconnect with his son and his son's mother. His family, especially his father and brother, finally recognized that he was suffering from depression and had attempted to get him some real assistance in dealing with his personal demons.
I had met this man when his Mom died and he arranged her funeral. He was charming and confident. He handled every detail and was a remarkable presence at her funeral service. He was the rock for the rest of the family. What happened?
Because of things beyond his control he later felt that he was not living up to his potential; that he could have done things better. His depression made it impossible for him to see that he was loved, honored and respected by many folk who knew him. The darkness had consumed him so very much that he could not see the brightness he had bought to the lives of family and friends who truly loved and cared for him. Depression is a terrible thing. I have seen its effects on many friends, acquaintances and family members. The heartache it brings is all consuming.So many people at the memorial service spoke about how his mere presence in their lives made them better people. He should have heard that; I think it would have made a difference in his life.
Wonder what the lesson is here? Don't cut off your nose despite your face. Don't put restrictions and caveats on friendship. You will lose in the end. And, just as important, let those you love and respect know how much you value their presence in your life.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Musing while waiting
Sitting in an airport lounge with a long wait between flights gives one the chance to sit back, nap(if you can), take a mental break from the daily routine, and do so much needed reflection.
The past few weeks have brought changes to the lives of several family members,as well as for me personally. After fifteen years of working in the certification unit of the Department of education after school and during the summer, I have fully retired. A meniscus issue has made trudging up and down subway steps uncomfortable at the very least and unfailingly painful at its most difficult. It was not a difficult decision in the long run because for the past two years the earnings from this part-time job put me in a higher tax bracket and my tax guy, Dave, made me solemnly promise that I would leave the job once my contractual obligation was up. It was a good ride and I met great people who worked for one of the largest bureaucracies on earth. And you know what? They were caring professionals who became concerned about the employees they worked with and for. I will miss them.
Additionally, I am cycling off a national board that I served for six years. With the work of a co-chair and design team, we put together an international meeting of religious leaders in Minnesota, no mean feat when you realize I live in New York and my partner in this endeavor lives in Baltimore. We did it mostly by phone,email and limited face-to-face encounters.
Unfortunately, another change was the result of a family tragedy. A young adult member of our family tragically suffered an accidental death. Although this was a devastating event, the consolation was a drawing close of family members from near and far encircling his parents an billings with affection and a quiet strength that I hope will sustain time through the difficult days they will face in the months to come. We know that the grif and loss will not disappear over time. They will scab and callous over, only to be reopened at unexpected moments. The world has changed for them and for us, but time still moves on....Weddings will happen; babies will be born, and new people will come into our lives who will not remember him, but still we will. And we will wish he could be with us to share these new moments.
I am currently reading a book called "The Lost" . It is a memoir written by the grandson of Holocaust survivors who searched to piece together the lives of six relatives who perished in the war in Eastern Europe. In one part his brother who is traveling with him on this quest to speak to those who knew his uncle, aunt and four cousins, says that the Their deaths are never final because there is always a void, a hole or bear spot on the family tree left there by their untimely exit from this life. And I think that is what happens to families who lose members unexpectedly. What family hasn't?
What is constant in this transitory life is that change is inevitable; sometimes we control it,but any times we do not. Change can be painful, but having an anchored spiritual base can help us endure those changes that causes pain, and accept those that bring new opportunities.
I wrote this two weeks ago before my recent trip to the Fjords of Norway. More on that later.
Sent from my iPad
The past few weeks have brought changes to the lives of several family members,as well as for me personally. After fifteen years of working in the certification unit of the Department of education after school and during the summer, I have fully retired. A meniscus issue has made trudging up and down subway steps uncomfortable at the very least and unfailingly painful at its most difficult. It was not a difficult decision in the long run because for the past two years the earnings from this part-time job put me in a higher tax bracket and my tax guy, Dave, made me solemnly promise that I would leave the job once my contractual obligation was up. It was a good ride and I met great people who worked for one of the largest bureaucracies on earth. And you know what? They were caring professionals who became concerned about the employees they worked with and for. I will miss them.
Additionally, I am cycling off a national board that I served for six years. With the work of a co-chair and design team, we put together an international meeting of religious leaders in Minnesota, no mean feat when you realize I live in New York and my partner in this endeavor lives in Baltimore. We did it mostly by phone,email and limited face-to-face encounters.
Unfortunately, another change was the result of a family tragedy. A young adult member of our family tragically suffered an accidental death. Although this was a devastating event, the consolation was a drawing close of family members from near and far encircling his parents an billings with affection and a quiet strength that I hope will sustain time through the difficult days they will face in the months to come. We know that the grif and loss will not disappear over time. They will scab and callous over, only to be reopened at unexpected moments. The world has changed for them and for us, but time still moves on....Weddings will happen; babies will be born, and new people will come into our lives who will not remember him, but still we will. And we will wish he could be with us to share these new moments.
I am currently reading a book called "The Lost" . It is a memoir written by the grandson of Holocaust survivors who searched to piece together the lives of six relatives who perished in the war in Eastern Europe. In one part his brother who is traveling with him on this quest to speak to those who knew his uncle, aunt and four cousins, says that the Their deaths are never final because there is always a void, a hole or bear spot on the family tree left there by their untimely exit from this life. And I think that is what happens to families who lose members unexpectedly. What family hasn't?
What is constant in this transitory life is that change is inevitable; sometimes we control it,but any times we do not. Change can be painful, but having an anchored spiritual base can help us endure those changes that causes pain, and accept those that bring new opportunities.
I wrote this two weeks ago before my recent trip to the Fjords of Norway. More on that later.
Sent from my iPad
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