Endings and New Beginnings

The last months have been a whirlwind for me and my family. So many things have happened this summer, and many things have fallen to the back-burner while I get the important parts of life, health, and happiness back to some type of normal. With the passing of my Father in March, I was amazed and a bit saddened to see how life just kept moving, even though it feels like it should stop, at least for a while.

Since March, my husband and I have purchased a new home and moved in, adopted a new dog, sent that same dog to the other side, fostered a dog, adopted another of our own, and we are both starting new journeys at new jobs on Monday. With all of these things, there has been very little time for me to truly mourn the loss of my Father. So, when I was asked by the Patheos Pagan channel if I wanted to participate in an Ancestor Remembrance project, I jumped at the chance.

I was teamed up with Jen over at The Busy Witch, a column on the Agora blog. She and I have been chatting back and forth via email for a couple weeks, and she has been a fabulous resource for me! As anyone who has read this blog in the past knows, I am very interested in many different faith traditions, but I’ve been amazed at how much my conversations with Jen have aligned with my personal views, especially with regard to the changing seasons, death, and life.

What I am most excited about though is the opportunity to really focus my thoughts and my energy on the healing process, and remembering not only my Dad, but my other family members who have exited this world and have moved on to their various journeys on the other side of life. I have been wanting, for some time now, to put my Dad’s story into writing, both for myself personally and for anyone else who may be able to learn from his life or experience the peace and joy we experienced through his passing, as odd as that may sound.

One thing Jen and I had discussed was that she has an altar onto which she’ll bring out her images and other items that remind her of her loved ones who have passed. As I was thinking about this project the other day, I was looking around my office and realized that I’ve already got something like this! I have a space on the bookshelf with memories of my dad, grandfather, grandmother, etc. As you can see from the picture, it’s a bit cluttered so as I get going with this project I’ll be cleaning it up and making those things more visible for myself.

It seems like the changing of the seasons, summer into fall and then winter, is a natural time for this reflection. Although I don’t always like the shorter daylight hours this time of year, it is a time that I tend to slow down and do more of the relaxing things I enjoy, like reading a book or drinking a cup of cocoa. I’m not always moving at a pace that is somewhat unsustainable long-term. I think it’s probably a good thing.

I’m excited to find out where this project will take me, I’m looking forward to working with and learning from Jen, and appreciate any chance to learn a little bit more about myself and the world around me. I’m especially looking forward to connecting with my body’s natural rhythm, the rhythm of the natural world around me, and of course the loved ones who have moved on.