Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Reflections on Family: Spirit Lives On

It's been nearly a year since my father crossed over into the next phase of his journey. His spirit has been sleeping since then, recuperating and reenergizing. I sense he will awaken soon for a life review and next steps. I feel him close often - not the least through the unfolding of my own life.

My father dreamed of homesteading, of having a large garden, small farm animals, living off the grid. Today, a year after his death, I am a suburban homesteader. He got to see my garden (in pictures, he never was able to visit this house), but in life he did not see my chickens or the publication of my second book, which is all about living in harmony with the land. Nor will he be here in body to see the birth of his second grandchild. I believe, though, that he will be here in spirit.

My dad died a frustrated and disenfranchised man, unable to garden, feeling "gypped" by the machine, and unsure of what he wanted out of life. But he passed on to me a sense of love for the earth and Spirit, and a desire to make the world a better place. I wish he had lived a happier life in his last thirty or so years, but I feel he is in a much better place and I am grateful for what he gifted me.

In many ways I have striven to grow beyond my family, in terms of emotional communication for instance, but in many more ways I am proudly and fully a product of my parents and ancestors. I find that a beautiful blessing in the ways of Spirit.

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