"AS THE CROW FLIES" : Upbringing

     I’m one of the lucky ones to not only still have both of my parents around, but also still married to each other (61 years). These days, what my mom would really appreciate is a pint of freshly picked berries.

     But aging is the great equalizer. We are all humbled under the heavy blanket of time. Aging brings us to that place where the finite and the infinite meet. Our mortality becomes all too real and we stand in awe of how little time we had to make much of an impression. Suddenly even an insect such as the grasshopper becomes much more important in the overall plan in our planet's keeping. The beauty of a blueberry field becomes more apparent. Our lives feel like just a notch on the staff of time.
It is up to those who remain to spread the time our loved ones spent on this Earth further into the future with remembrances in order to pass along any legacies and uphold meaningfulness within the gift of sacredness.

     A life was lived and it had meaning to us. It taught us. It created love in us. It taught us virtue, acceptance and strength. It told us when to stand up and when to look the other  way. My parents’ lives taught me to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before judging them. That helping someone else along the way was to enrich all involved. That service to others was fulfilling a life. That laughter was sacred medicine. And don’t be afraid to speak out. Don’t let the bastards keep you down. Don’t be as concerned about being number one as you are about just giving your best for all are equal anyway. Just honor what you’ve been given and tend your own garden so that you may give something back and pass something along. Keep a strong work ethic , don’t be wasteful, and clean up after yourselves.

     If only I could set half the examples my parents did.               ~Crow