Where would they go?

This has been a sad thirty days or so. If I Google daily deaths, the answers run from 153,000 to over 400,000 people die everyday. Almost all of these people leave behind ones that will miss them. When we are 5, 6, 7 or so, we see something dead... a pet, a bird, but we never imagine death will touch us. A few years later most of us experience the passing of an older relative and by the time we hear the words in our consciousness that it will happen to us as well... deep down we don't believe it. As we grow older death, or the knowledge of death, comes to be a shadow dimly seen over our shoulder... and we learn to not stare too long. Depending on our age, the spectre of our own death becomes a lot less fearful. At my age and philosophical view point my own death is seen as and old friend waiting patiently for its turn. Having said all that...this has been a sad thirty days or so. I do understand the Buddha, and others who have died since, saying to their mourning followers that they aren't going anywhere, "Where would I go?". And I do believe that no one is really gone, we just don't recognise them now. But at this point in my spiritual journey I, like you, have a sadness that today I don't recognise them. There are two in the past month that so many of us miss... I know that the list of those I miss will be different than anothers list... but this one is mine.

There are statistics that only approx. forty percent of the users of Secondlife are from the USA, so many of you may not recognise the name Elizabeth Edwards. Likely more that may see this post will recognise Delinda Dyrssens name. These are the ones I miss most now... Elizabeth I never met, and Delinda only briefly, but both have influenced my life. Think about this, there are nearly six billion people on this planet....what are the odds that anyone will influence you?********************************************************************************Delinda tribute ********************************************************************************* Elizabeth Edwards

The closing words of Elizabeth Edwards on her Facebook page. "The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces - my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. There are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."

Elizabeth passed yesterday

And so it goes

Please know you are so loved, brinda

Namaste

नमस्ते