THE CEREMONY
thats what i want
the ceremony like my friend greg had for his
final ceremony
it was more a celebration of his life
there were family and friends there from everywhere
all talking about greg and his ties and his science fiction and
his laugh and his hugs and his smile and his good nature and
his being a good doctor
it was a rememberence of greg like greg was
the ceremony had a christian prayer a jewish prayer and a
reading from a buddhist writing
there were protestants there catholics there jewish there budhist there
and agnostics there
the prayers or readings for the ceremony could easily be interchanged
between religions
there does seem to be some common ground in all those
then there were readings from different people about greg
i was asked to read my blog about him
tried to read it but couldnt finish it so
one of gregs and his wifes friend read it
she read it so well with just the inflections i would have used
and she caught the essence of my blog
which was the essence of gregs final ceremony
he was kind a gentle intelligent loving person
and will be missed
hope i can be sent off when my time comes with a ceremony
and gathering of friends like this
well miss you my friend
UTAH RANCH
we are on one of our bucket list trips this summer
one of several we are doing this summer and early fall
we are in albuquerque on our way to a ranch in utah
that is ran and owned by a friend of my daughterinlaw
well hes more like her little brother
the ranch is right down my alley
it is completely off the grid
its a total solar powered ranch
they store the electricity in large batteries
cant wait to see and tour this one
they raise different grapes in their organic vineyards and are working
towards having their own winery
they also raise organic vegetables in their large garden
they have a large number of fruit and nut trees that they
harvest and sell
they use some volunteer workers from europe and the us who
work there for 4+ weeks
like an internship
(wonder if im too old to do an internship there
know that would be fun and could add that to my
habitat for humanity volunteering)
they also have a beautiful area to explore and have areas of
old indian canyon sites to explore
they generally limit access to friends
we feel lucky to have this opportunity
we have toured the mesa verde area in southwest colorado
so we look forward to this part of the trip
we will post pictures and stories of the ranch and the
surrounding areas on my next blog
so have my safari hat sunscreen yes judy i have my walking stick
you gave me my hiking boots my camera and am ready to explore and
enjoy
the organicgreen doctor
I am so glad you and JoAnn were at the ceremony. It meant so much. Greg loved you both as do I. Susan
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to see you and your wife she at the memorial celebration of Greg's life. Your blog about Greg was such a loving tribute; I was deeply moved when I read it back in December the first time, then again at Greg's ceremony. He deserved a loving send-off full of tributes and accolades. I, too, hope to have such a farewell when my turn arrives.
ReplyDeleteI was one of Greg's caregivers for about 2 years. I can only hope I made the difference in his life that he made in mine. He, by far, is my favorite person to have had the opportunity to care for. Unfortunately, there are others that need care and I did not have the opportunity to attend his memorial. I heard it was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteLast year just before your last visit Greg suffered a great set-back. He all but stopped talking to us and showed very little attention to us. Mostly, he just listened to the radio or watched tv with little concern for them.
I was off the days of your visit, but as soon as I got back I noticed the difference. I asked him if he had missed me and he said "NO". Then he got the biggest grin! He not only was back 100% but a little more.
I was ready to move you next door. I have never seen such a good change in him. I give you all the credit for bringing him back and even making him a little better. I think you may have extended his life and for certain added quality of life during his last days. Thank you. You are an amazing friend and Greg loved you second to Susan.
Greg is walking beside you now and you need only to feel with your heart and he will be there for you.
thanks for caring for greg and thanks for the kind words
Deletegreg was a special person and will and is being missed
togd