It is so easy to see the peacefulness and love you both find in kayaking. Plus your love of nature.
Thanks for sharing life and breath thoughts. Of course it brings tears to my eyes like you poem “If I Die First”.
Love the idea of beads. It would make the deceased feel they are still with you and enjoying a part of life and hoping they bring peacefulness to help you through hard times.
Wendy, it was lovely to start my day with you! It allowed me moments to be present with you in the kitchen, sharing thoughts as you mixed the blueberries & protein powder as we shared the early morning time together. I loved this piece and its fullness of life and breath! Thanks too for the poem Burial…what a marvelous image of the interplay between tree & ashes, between life and life after death. Happy Friday dear one. Thanks for your multiple gifts and blessings!
Thank you for this uplifting note, Joy. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post and the poem! Hope you - or you and Beth - can visit sometime in 2024/2025 and we can savor some early morning time again :-) Much love you you both.
Thanks to you and Annette for being so inspiring and encouraging. Adaptation is certainly the name of the game as we age. And the thoughts/stories/poem on death…wow! I really like the bead idea. What a simple, lovely way to keep someone who’s gone close. (Though I know it would freak some people out.) I hear Ross Gay at last year’s VaBook and loved him but keep forgetting to read him. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks so much, Jan. I like the bead idea too - and realize others may find it creepy :-). If you'd like to borrow one of Ross Gay's books, you're welcome to borrow one of mine. I'd suggest starting with catalog of unabashed gratitude :-)
This column was such an inspiration to me. As our life changes (I lost my partner recently) and how our bodies change as we age, it is easy to accept the limitations that we have or perhaps think we have. As you shared, in doing that we give up so much richness, even the small things like listening to the birds somewhere outside your yard. I am so glad you found a way to share kayaking with Annette again and I am inspired to find new and different things to open my world.
Laura - My sympathy for the loss of your partner. I'm glad you found inspiration in the post and hope you do indeed find new and different things to open your world. They can come from both expected and unexpected places! Thank you for taking the time to share your kind words and what the post sparked for you.
Love that you are both back kayaking, and found the will and a way to make it happen. I plop into mine and roll out very ungracefully but I’d rather do that than not paddle at all! And the Burial poem was wonderful - life and loss and letting go in such a picture.
Exactly, Annie! I plopped into my kayak early this morning and paddled for about 2 hours. It's not something I want to give up unless I absolutely have to. Glad you liked the poem too. I'm looking forward to spending some time after school one night this week catching up on your latest adventures. I love your photos and your reflections.
Absolutely, Regina! And I'm glad you liked the poem. As Jeanne emphasized, there are more ashes than most folks imagine. It's fitting that part of her is in the Memorial Garden - yet you could always expand from that first location.
It is so easy to see the peacefulness and love you both find in kayaking. Plus your love of nature.
Thanks for sharing life and breath thoughts. Of course it brings tears to my eyes like you poem “If I Die First”.
Love the idea of beads. It would make the deceased feel they are still with you and enjoying a part of life and hoping they bring peacefulness to help you through hard times.
Wendy, it was lovely to start my day with you! It allowed me moments to be present with you in the kitchen, sharing thoughts as you mixed the blueberries & protein powder as we shared the early morning time together. I loved this piece and its fullness of life and breath! Thanks too for the poem Burial…what a marvelous image of the interplay between tree & ashes, between life and life after death. Happy Friday dear one. Thanks for your multiple gifts and blessings!
Thank you for this uplifting note, Joy. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post and the poem! Hope you - or you and Beth - can visit sometime in 2024/2025 and we can savor some early morning time again :-) Much love you you both.
Thanks to you and Annette for being so inspiring and encouraging. Adaptation is certainly the name of the game as we age. And the thoughts/stories/poem on death…wow! I really like the bead idea. What a simple, lovely way to keep someone who’s gone close. (Though I know it would freak some people out.) I hear Ross Gay at last year’s VaBook and loved him but keep forgetting to read him. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks so much, Jan. I like the bead idea too - and realize others may find it creepy :-). If you'd like to borrow one of Ross Gay's books, you're welcome to borrow one of mine. I'd suggest starting with catalog of unabashed gratitude :-)
This column was such an inspiration to me. As our life changes (I lost my partner recently) and how our bodies change as we age, it is easy to accept the limitations that we have or perhaps think we have. As you shared, in doing that we give up so much richness, even the small things like listening to the birds somewhere outside your yard. I am so glad you found a way to share kayaking with Annette again and I am inspired to find new and different things to open my world.
Laura - My sympathy for the loss of your partner. I'm glad you found inspiration in the post and hope you do indeed find new and different things to open your world. They can come from both expected and unexpected places! Thank you for taking the time to share your kind words and what the post sparked for you.
Love that you are both back kayaking, and found the will and a way to make it happen. I plop into mine and roll out very ungracefully but I’d rather do that than not paddle at all! And the Burial poem was wonderful - life and loss and letting go in such a picture.
Exactly, Annie! I plopped into my kayak early this morning and paddled for about 2 hours. It's not something I want to give up unless I absolutely have to. Glad you liked the poem too. I'm looking forward to spending some time after school one night this week catching up on your latest adventures. I love your photos and your reflections.
Wendy, can I borrow the book? Also thanks for the poem Burial…too bad Jeanne is in the Memorial Garden!
Absolutely, Regina! And I'm glad you liked the poem. As Jeanne emphasized, there are more ashes than most folks imagine. It's fitting that part of her is in the Memorial Garden - yet you could always expand from that first location.