My aunt passed away a few years ago, on a cold December day. It was completely unexpected; even though she was an 80+ year old woman in negligible health. It threw me because she was one of those people who are more; who seem to have lives that are fuller, richer, and deeper than the rest of us. Dying quietly in a hospital bed was not something I had imagined her doing. Ever. I admired my Aunt Verna for her perseverance, for her long-suffering, for her unwavering faith and for her ability to extend grace to the dirtiest and lowest. She wasn't a wealthy woman, she had never lived an easy life, she knew great loss and disappointment. Still she was a peaceful pool...deep, calm, beautiful; a place to rest for those of us who find rest difficult. She was a prism, reflecting light and beauty into the lives of us who spend so much time in the shadows. "Many Winters" was her email address. I've often wondered what she may have been thinking about when she identified herself with that phrase. She had lived many winters, certainly; ice storms and blizzards, days of barren need, nights of miserable cold. But I think the "many winters" were significant because she wasn't overcome by them, she endured the frozen earth and biting winds to emerge again, every spring, a tender green shoot, hopeful, straining towards the sun, blooming spectacularly and often.
So this blog is dedicated to my Aunt Verna, my spiritual teacher and very good friend. Rest In Peace.
I believe in God, who is beyond my scope, beyond my thoughts, beyond my understanding, yet "closer to me than I am to myself." This blog is a spiritual exercise for me, and I hope as I sort out my thoughts I can also inspire others to be open to the mystery that holds us in being.