Death

[caption id=“attachment_4832” align=“alignleft” width=“1000”] “Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer[/caption] Is death anyone’s favourite topic? Death has always been a heavy topic for me and most people I know shy away from any discussion around the topic whenever it comes up. It’s as though not talking about it will make it go away. I’m talking here about physical death - that of a loved one or beloved pet. There’s no impermanence about physical death. We never get to see our loved one again in this life. ...

I took this image in a Chapters/Indigo bookstore in Toronto, Canada Normally we do not like to think about death. We would rather think about life. Why reflect on death? When you start preparing for death you soon realize that you must look into your life now… and come to face the truth of your self. Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche ...

As 2018 began and all the good wishes abounded for a Happy New Year, I was filled with anticipation and joy for this new beginning. There’s something about a brand new start that brings a hopefulness to one’s soul and spirit. One never knows what’s in store but hopes it will be good. In fact, the collage below is usually the one I put on my Facebook page on New Year’s Eve. When one is in good or reasonably good health and can participate in their own life and the lives of those around them, the New Year is a time of hope. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’… ALFRED LORD TENNYSON ...

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. ...

[caption id=“attachment_1568” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Live Good[/caption] All the epithets in this collage were of interest to me since they were Christmas ornaments I saw in a year-round Christmas tree store. They are the kind of ornaments one buys for the wine-lover on your Christmas list. The addition of “Live Good” is my own idea. This image was on the cover of a journal in a bookstore. It’s funny how certain images and sayings can act as triggers for past events or ideas one may have held at a certain time of life. This is what these sayings about wine did for me. There was a time in my life when I thought that I was Epicurean - a much younger age. I didn’t know much about Epicurus though. It was the “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry” stage. Life was about having a good time. ...

[caption id=“attachment_1356” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“To A Pink Peony”][/caption] My Dad passed on thirteen years ago this week. He loved all the flowers in the garden but was particularly devoted to the peonies. On this anniversary of the heart, I’m sharing this poem he wrote in 1998 which was two years before his death. To A Pink Peony Unrivalled, the pink peony outshone the other colorful flowers in the garden. ...

 [caption id=“attachment_407” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Bon Voyage, Au Revoir, Goodbye!”][/caption] All the cemetery images in this collage were taken on my last visit to Parklawn where my parents are buried. The angels are photographed from a souvenir print I brought with me from Italy that has nothing but angels. The African Violets were taken at my friend’s apartment. Events of the past few weeks have turned my thoughts to death and dying. ...

[caption id=“attachment_65” align=“alignleft” width=“300”] Nirvana[/caption] This collage is called Nirvana because if you look carefully, you can see a little Buddha head there. After a visit to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Thailand three years ago, my interest in Buddhism was peaked. Although I had visited Hong Kong and Thailand before, I hadn’t witnessed so many images and statues of the Buddha, as on this visit. In these cultures, there are many followers of Buddha. In addition, Buddhism is very popular now in all parts of the world. ...