Musings on a Small Life

A lot of things have been going through my mind since Harry passed, and since the interment and get-together afterward last Thursday. Both of Harry's remaining (living) sons came from Edmonton for the burial. One of them, whom I would have seen only once before at Mom and Harry's wedding almost 32 years ago, now is 60 years old. I don't think any of us had any idea, until the get-together, how much anger and bitterness he's still carrying over his childhood, that Harry wasn't the father he needed him--wanted him--to be. That really struck me, because it took me till my early 40s to be able to forgive my own dad for not being the father I needed, to have an understanding that he did the best he could at the time, with the knowledge of a what being a father meant to him. But to go a lifetime without understanding that our parents are a product of their own upbringing and emotional baggage, to go a lifetime carrying so much hurt, is terribly sad. And yes, I ...

Today I'm especially thankful for good friends with sane and sage advice. :-) And since I'm fresh out of my own sane and sage advice, I'll simply post today's quote over at TinyBuddha.com : That is sane and sage advice! Peace . Comments are off.

In a manner of speaking. It felt like a great morning to take a walk in the cemetery, something I haven't done since last fall. So long ago now that I can't even remember when.  I love the advice. I like to think she lived her life wearing spectacular red shoes, literally and metaphorically. Maybe she even was buried wearing red shoes, stilettos. I hope so.  :-) Maybe Phyllis, below, also wore red shoes. Note the cat in the upper left corner. I'm pretty sure this is a quote from Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, below (enlarge if necessary). A book I grew up reading over and over and one (as well as his other writings) that had a great influence on my perspective. Henrick the 2nd was so young. And speaking of young, of course I went to check to on Angel Melissa's grave. And for the first time, I burst into tears when I saw it. (I've shed tears here before, but I've not lost it quite like I did this morning.) She would have been 39...