Remembrance on Late Blooms

Random Acts of Kindness

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2976” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”] “Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; ‘Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another’s tears, ‘Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on.” (Henry Burton)[/caption]

Forever Changed

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand. (Book of Isaiah)

On this 16th anniversary of my father’s death, one might think that the day could pass with just a slight remembering and a moving on - a kind of forgetting as the tasks of the day took over. Alas, that was not to be! From the beginning of this month, I started to think of this day approaching. Luckily for me, my Art class was this morning and I worked diligently at my clay creations. Vaguely, I remembered the Bible saying something about clay and decided to look it up. The above verse was one of the ones I found. My father was a “religious” man. He would approve of me looking things like this up.

Existential Questions

Sat, 21 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

We all at one time or the other have questions about life, the natural world we live in, our inner worlds, and about existence in general. How did everything come into existence, when did this happen, who was responsible, and what part do we play in this unfolding drama? There are all kinds of theories. As long as we are conscious of our existence, which we humans are, we ask these kinds of questions. The philosopher, Socrates, is said to have uttered the words “the unexamined life is not worth living.” I wonder whether he was referring to these questions we ask in our minds and hearts and the answers we are seeking. That calls for a lot of examination.

"Day of the Dead"

Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2662” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell, “Hallowed Ground”[/caption]

What a way to remember one’s dead! The Day of the Dead or Dia de Muertos celebrations took place here in Toronto yesterday at Harbourfront and is taking place again today. It’s a two day Festival which has its roots in Mexico. The atmosphere was festive rather than mournful - although all the paraphernalia surrounding death was visible there. “The Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place over the first two days of November. Its origins are a mixture of Native American traditions and a set of Catholic holidays. While the holiday’s observances include spending time in cemeteries, making shrines to the dead, and displaying artistic representations of skulls and skeletons, the occasion is festive, rather than morbid. Death isn’t seen as the end of one’s life, but as a natural part of the life cycle; the dead continue to exist much as they did in their lives, and come back to visit the living every year.” (Factmonster.com) Would that we would all be like the Mexicans who are able to have joyful and celebratory feelings about death and dying. This is truly a blessing.

Remembering with Poetry

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2625” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] “The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.”
― Czesław Miłosz, The Issa Valley[/caption]

Another colouring page finished! What good use could this be put to? This could be used for sharing poetry - my father’s. It’s no accident that this desire to share and remember should take place at this time. After all, we remembered five days ago that he’s been gone fifteen years. He would love his poetry on a page that I had coloured - he was that type of man! I remember when I started to learn to play the accordion shortly before he died - and he told me that he listened when I was practicing and how many pieces I could play - and there was a pride in his voice. I didn’t show my appreciation as much as I should have at the time. I understand now why it was important for him to say these things.