May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
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Today I went to church twice. This is probably a record for me, as going to church once on a given Sunday is already a rare occasion. To say I am not a religious person is an understatement. Spiritually, the closest description to my true beliefs would label me an animist. I was raised in a Christian setting. We celebrated Christmas and I went to church pretty regularly until I was 7 or so, when I told my mom I didn't want to go anymore and she obliged. I am not a Christian, but now that I have kids (and am married to one) I play one on occasion.
I have no objection to my kids attending church, especially the ultra liberal activist one my wife belongs to here in Austin. It's a great community that does good works like feeding the homeless and fighting for social justice on the local and international levels. I am down with all of that and I applaud it. I also don't mind attending on occasion as they have a great quartet and beautiful late 19th century stained glass to stare at. Like my brother commonmass, I am fond of "smells and bells" and for me it is the Art of it all, including the pageantry, that makes it enjoyable. The building itself reminds me of New England, so the atmosphere is familiar. If I was at all inclined to revisit my beliefs this place would set me to it.
Today my sons each lit an Advent candle. That was a special occasion for them and it was beautiful to watch. The children's choir also sang a few carols and it was the first time either of them had sung in public. Then the minister (a firebrand leftist with an absolute passion for social justice issues, particularly homelessness) taught the children's lesson, today about the gifts we give on Christmas being material and the gift that Christ gave the world being spiritual. His told the children about his daughter's boyfriend, who loves bacon and sports, and how for Christmas he bought the young man a box of those band aids that look like strips of bacon. So when he asked the kids what gift they though that Christ had given the world my oldest boy, of course, said "Bacon?" in a loud voice. Chip off the old block, he is. Uproarious laughter from the congregation and a taken-off-guard eyebrow raise from the minister, who responded that he was "Pretty sure that is the ONE gift Christ definitely did not give the world."
Things like this make church A-Okay for me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
Psalm 23
Then this afternoon I was in a different church for a funeral.
Back on 10/30 I wrote a diary for Kitchen table Kibitzing about a beloved member of my school community who was dying of pancreatic cancer. Last week he finally passed, after an improbable two year battle when he was given less than six months at initial diagnosis. This a particularly difficult circumstance since his twins attend our school and his wife is a teacher. He left the faculty when he was diagnosed. The years long struggle has been an emotional marathon for everyone involved. Today was the final goodbye.
For a man who ran marathons and regularly led the peloton in long distance races, wasting from cancer at the prime of his life left an impact on many local communities. There were easily 500 people in attendance, maybe closer to six. We walked in 5 minutes late and just after the first stanza of Ave Maria, a beautiful rendition by a tenor who brought tears immediately.
I am not a fan of funerals (like anyone is) and I tend to become anxious, but today was quite different. First, it was requested that people wear biking shirts and ride to the funeral if able. There were maybe 200 bikes in the courtyard. Other proper attire included running gear, Livestrong shirts, and the color green. It was a refreshing celebration of vibrancy and life over moroseness and death. All of this was a testament to the kind of person this man was in life, and the legacy he left behind with his family.
How Great thou Art
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
His wife and children are left with a very strong support system. Their community surrounds them and lifts them in love and safety. They will be ok. So it is with great sadness we turn the page tonight, remembering a life of laughter and honesty, of compassion and strength in the face of adversity. Ride easy into the next chapter. My the wind be at your back on the return.
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December 14, 2013
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