Monday, March 30, 2009

being a friend and a minister

I flew to nYc today to see my friend Lori who is battling stage 4 cancer. I came to be with her and to make music with her and to see for myself how she's REALLY doing. It isn't easy. But if there's something that my yoga practice has taught me is that this being human isn't meant to be easy, and that we must embrace the sukkha and the dukkha equally. To run to one or away from the other brings only problems.

In seminary I learned about the dying process. Like so many other aspects of seminary and being a minister, I've yet to have the opportunity to be a part of anyone's transition from this life. I believe in my heart that Lori still has a lot of living to do but I also understand that the journey has begun. And so I'm here. I feel blessed to have the means and opportunity to travel across the country to be with a dear friend, to be able to laugh, sing, and cry with her, and hopefully to be of service to her and her husband. I know that I will be nourished and inspired by her will and her light.