TRANSITIONS

Up until an hour ago I had a different topic in mind. However, we received a call from my oldest daughter, that my older brother died. It was an expected death. He had a major heart attack some twenty years ago that started a slow but steady downhill slide. He was ready for the transition and now can realize the Great Being of Light that he has always been.

My brother was eighteen months older than me. We were antagonistic when we were growing up, but we had times of closeness. I feel close to him now and I am happy that he is free. His last few years have been imbued with suffering.

His death comes at a time when I have been looking forward to a transition of my own. I will complete eighty years on planet Earth this Saturday. I never had a birthday that I looked forward to, like I have this one. I never minded growing older. The only birthday, I remember being kind of a shock, was when I turned fifty. One can pretend there still a kid through the forties; but fifty.

I don't know, what about eighty, is so charming. I just like the idea. I am always a little surprised when I think about it. When I am sitting in a chair, like I am doing now typing this, I could be thirty-five. I will only discover my age when I get up and walk.

I know that there is no death, we are not bodies after all. Some folks feel that the end of the body is the end of self. I haven't felt that way for a long time. I am not sure I ever felt, my self, was my body. I must have thought I was limited to a body at one time. When I realized the fraud that religion had become, I flushed God with religion. I think most of us do. We go through our atheistic and agnostic periods, but at some point our inquiring minds ask. "What is there." I would never argue, that life continues after death, with one who does not believe it. It doesn't matter what we believe, what is, is, and we all will find out.

The search for who we are seems to be built into us. We want to know, who we are. If there is a god, we want to know the nature of god. Somewhere along our search, god becomes spelled with a capitol G. It is not a matter of belief. It is a discovery. An adventure. A search. Belief is limiting, it blocks out new information. Searching in our minds and hearts has no limits. No one should interfere with another's path. All paths will lead to truth. We are One and we are all on a journey to that realization.

It is time for me to do my chores, which is doing the dishes and taking care of the chickens. I will walk and talk with my Brother on the way.

Love and Peace,  Gregg