Such haunting, wise, and true words. Thank you. At the end of a post about such somber realities, I was taken with your words, "with all my heart." That's the spiritual question: how to keep our hearts alive and vulnerable--full, even--amid our own and this world's deep sadness. Somehow, by grace, it is possible...
Erik!! thank yo so much for your wise words. yes, that was a post from the bottom of my heart indeed, it poured out after a long day where I could not find the words. You voice what is probably the most existential insight: That sitting with our sadness and vulnerability keeps our heart open. May it be so. And may grace be with us. Much blessings to you and yours 🙏🍃🥰
i have grieved many trees in my life. and pets. and now my best friend is facing some very serious health issues. 'in the midst of life, we are in death.' so very true and a good reminder to not take anything, anyone for granted.
"And somewhere between Pentecost’s green fire and the anticipated sound of chainsaws, we stand with our questions."
I'm so glad I'm not the only person who overthinks my gardening this much. The hesitancy to smush in order to save is a daily torment for me.
It really is a cult of death. Once empathy itself is demonized, what makes life worthwhile is squished out of its place at the heart of everything. But the Spirit has other plans. I just always wish I knew what they were.
I'm so sorry about your tree. We are losing a spruce right now to something fungal, and it hurts every time I walk past it. I try to comfort myself with the idea of the compost, but I think it's important that we do take these moments to let the grief happen. My condolences.
so lovely, Emma, thank you. I think it might not be overthinking what we do when we garden. It might be a very organic and natural movement of pondering actually. Something which has been forgotten but can teach us the mystery of it all. Much blessings to you also.
Thanks for catching me in that particular reflex. It’s not overthinking eating when we give thanks for our food. Your writings so often help me remember to re-value the contemplative as part of our everyday lives. Happy Summer.
Such a comfort to have what I am experiencing put into words…the tree represents so much I am letting go, the saving of the hollyhocks miming the tasks of love and service I am called to within the connections of living beings. Your deep sharing has touched my soul with understanding and courage to go onward.
Thank you for your lovely meditation which seems so appropriate in the midst of our lives at present. You remind us the Spirit is with us in our times of great loss.
I’m entering the second summer without the large elm that so gladly provided us shade over our back yard. I do t think I’ll ever stop grieving this loss.
I love your thoughts, so eloquently put into words. Especially this: “Nice metaphors do not cut it when something inside feels like a dying tree in the middle of spring.
Nice Metaphors do not hold us when it seems like a dead cult is running the world.”
We too have a dying tree in the garden; a very old apple tree dying of old age. It's about 60 or more years old and the fruit has never been very good. One of its' family died a few years ago but we have left it to decay away slowly with various pretty things hanging from its' dead branches. The newly dead tree will become the same.
This spoke powerfully to me. I am a recent survivor of two different cancers, beginning the cycle of six month rechecks
I find myself grieving in an undefinable way.
Thank you
Heather E Klason
oh Heather, what deep deep sharing. Thank you for being here with us in the middle of your grief. May you find life even on your grieving path.
Dear Almut ~
Such haunting, wise, and true words. Thank you. At the end of a post about such somber realities, I was taken with your words, "with all my heart." That's the spiritual question: how to keep our hearts alive and vulnerable--full, even--amid our own and this world's deep sadness. Somehow, by grace, it is possible...
Erik!! thank yo so much for your wise words. yes, that was a post from the bottom of my heart indeed, it poured out after a long day where I could not find the words. You voice what is probably the most existential insight: That sitting with our sadness and vulnerability keeps our heart open. May it be so. And may grace be with us. Much blessings to you and yours 🙏🍃🥰
i have grieved many trees in my life. and pets. and now my best friend is facing some very serious health issues. 'in the midst of life, we are in death.' so very true and a good reminder to not take anything, anyone for granted.
Amen to this, and much blessings to you, dear greta.
Yes! Reminds me of the phrase, “Grief and Love are sisters.”
oh, that is a deeply felt phrase. Thank you, Than.
"And somewhere between Pentecost’s green fire and the anticipated sound of chainsaws, we stand with our questions."
I'm so glad I'm not the only person who overthinks my gardening this much. The hesitancy to smush in order to save is a daily torment for me.
It really is a cult of death. Once empathy itself is demonized, what makes life worthwhile is squished out of its place at the heart of everything. But the Spirit has other plans. I just always wish I knew what they were.
I'm so sorry about your tree. We are losing a spruce right now to something fungal, and it hurts every time I walk past it. I try to comfort myself with the idea of the compost, but I think it's important that we do take these moments to let the grief happen. My condolences.
so lovely, Emma, thank you. I think it might not be overthinking what we do when we garden. It might be a very organic and natural movement of pondering actually. Something which has been forgotten but can teach us the mystery of it all. Much blessings to you also.
Thanks for catching me in that particular reflex. It’s not overthinking eating when we give thanks for our food. Your writings so often help me remember to re-value the contemplative as part of our everyday lives. Happy Summer.
To love what will not last. - This resonated. I appreciated the honesty and important job of just grieving and loving and tending in uncertainty.
lovely, Lori, glad you are here.
Such a comfort to have what I am experiencing put into words…the tree represents so much I am letting go, the saving of the hollyhocks miming the tasks of love and service I am called to within the connections of living beings. Your deep sharing has touched my soul with understanding and courage to go onward.
so glad to hear that, Pamelajac. And yes to the tree as stand in for all we have to let go. Blessings to your soul.
Thank you for your lovely meditation which seems so appropriate in the midst of our lives at present. You remind us the Spirit is with us in our times of great loss.
Amen to this, Tina.🙏
I often think about this, Almut. My only consolation is that we are not left alone.
Amen to this, dear Linda. We are left with a 'thorn in the flesh" indeed.
My sorrow to you. Such a long life lived to grace you and others.
Go easy. Healing is slow and so invisible. Trust the slow work of the beloved.
Shalom.
Shalom, dear Lorraine.
I’m entering the second summer without the large elm that so gladly provided us shade over our back yard. I do t think I’ll ever stop grieving this loss.
I love your thoughts, so eloquently put into words. Especially this: “Nice metaphors do not cut it when something inside feels like a dying tree in the middle of spring.
Nice Metaphors do not hold us when it seems like a dead cult is running the world.”
Thank you, Almut. ❤️🙏❤️
oh, I am so sorry to hear this, Gayla. Yes, when a tree goes missing we feel it, outside and in. Glad my words found you.🙏
I am sorry for this loss. I grieve the trees, too.
yes, don't we? They are companions on this journey. 🌳
Mitten im Leben sind wir vom Tod umgeben.
Mit dieser Wahrheit umgehen zu können ist eine Herausforderung.
Grüße aus Deutschland von Bernd Herbek
In the middle of life we are surrounded by death.
Dealing with this truth is a challenge.
Greetings from Germany from Bernd Herbek
ja genau, das passt ja mal wieder 😇
We too have a dying tree in the garden; a very old apple tree dying of old age. It's about 60 or more years old and the fruit has never been very good. One of its' family died a few years ago but we have left it to decay away slowly with various pretty things hanging from its' dead branches. The newly dead tree will become the same.
oh, what an image, dear sally, thank you for sharing. They, too, die. And we are left wondering. 🍃🍂
Bless you .
🙏
"Not in insisting that every dying tree is secretly preparing a resurrection.
The ash tree is dying.
The hollyhocks live because other lives do not.
The world is beautiful and terrible all at once."
Too much, and at the same time not enough...
Yes, exactly. also, It was so nice meeting you live 🙏