Yesterday was an amazing day in so many ways. I couldn’t wait to sit down and write about it so I could recall the rainbow of emotional experiences. Life is so good when it is full of the richness of being fully alive especially when we get to have a glimpse of the contrast of seeing others in the trance of living many people go through. My wife and I attended a christening, a funeral and a house concert all within a 12-hour span and it was just right how it all happened.
The day began with an early morning bike ride with the chill still in the air. That woke me up and got me going. After a quick shower we were off to the First Event: the Christening of Mackenzie Madison Palles. Mackenzie is the daughter of Neal and Mary our friends. Neal is a social worker that I worked with in my past job and a handful of ex-coworkers showed up and we had a wonderful reunion in the midst of Rabbi, both families, neighbors, other friends and a meaningful ceremony about an extended family coming together in support of this new soul beginning her life’s journey. It is a blessing to be a part of Mackenzie’s journey. The interactions and the feelings of being with friends was also a blessing.
Part Two of our journey was a drive to Denver to attend my wife’s good friend Steve’s funeral. He took his own life and most of those who attended seemed in total denial of the pain of that loss. The funeral was put on by an estranged family and past associates who Steve had much unfinished business with and in some part the reason he took his soul elsewhere. His father, his brother had greatly disappointed him when he left their business to go out on his own. There heartlessness troubled Steve greatly.
His ex-wife who took him to court regularly to get every dime she could was there in smiles yet the pain she cause him was beyond measure. She thanked us for being there and this struck us as odd and unreal since Steve’s going was in no small part due to his feelings about her relentless attempts to make his life a struggle. She had just sent him notice of another day in court as his business crashed around him.
His fiancée seemed happy and in total denial or full of anger and just hiding her emotions. She was fiercely jealous of any interactions Steve had and now it seems she was not in touch with even compassion for his death?
The singer, with a wonderful voice, who sang at the funeral was someone Steve disliked for his dishonest business dealings. Steve would have been upset over this whole event, it seemed so heartless when he was a very giving person, but maybe that is why he checked-out?
My wife and some close friends will put together a real goodbye in the near future where, who he really was, can be celebrated and his loss can be sincerely felt.
Part Three meant we had to get home to make something for a potluck and head to Lyons a small town on the way to Estes Park. Lyons is where my friend Bill lives. It was house concert night of about 25 people and a few co-workers from my present job were there. The night began with good food and “open mike” where everyone performed beautifully. Bill and Steph did two songs that were just great. Something about a live performance that is so much better than a recording. It seems like the feeling vibrations lift everyone.
The evening featured event was Coyote Moon a duet that were so good I can still feel their music buzzing in me the next day. Their musical talents were exceptional and their voices were just pure joy. To sit so close and feel the notes of the music pass right into and through is to be uplifted to the highest plane of human experience. This is creativity and personal expression at an expansive level that is a true inspiration for whatever in us wants to be expressed. It is such joy to soar with those who are soaring.
We got home and soon fell into a very deep and restful sleep. Life is so good when we feel alive.