4 Days With My Brother

Today marks the end of 4 amazing days with my brother Ted visiting me from the west coast.

He arrived here on Thursday, late in the afternoon.  I picked him up form the airport and made dinner for him.  Afterwards (after a bit of a rest), we went straight to the tennis club and played tennis until late in the evening.  Hitting the ball with him reminded me of days gone by; a time when we used to get together regularly and hit the ball.

On Friday I went to work as usual, but immediately after work Ted and I met up and hit the ball some more.

We played tennis on Saturday and today too, but in addition to playing tennis, I think one of the  highlights of the weekend was going for a walk with him early afternoon.  We went from my place down to Saskatchewan Crescent and then headed towards the Broadway St. bridge, before turning south, stopping at one of my favourite coffee places in the city, Museo.  The picture below was taken there.

This morning we also went to church together, St. Mary's.

I'm extremely grateful for Ted.  I feel privileged.  While here, we spent a lot of time together, but in addition to all the activities - tennis, going for walks, meals - we also had some meaningful conversations.  He's trying to sell his house.  He travels all over western Canada and the US for work.  His kids are growing up.  My work as a Spiritual Care provider.  My house.  To finish my basement suite or not.  Culture(s).  Faith.  Parents.  Marriage.  These are all themes we touched on, to greater and lesser extents.

Lord God, bless Ted and his family, according to your mercy and lovingkindness.  Amen.

Ted In Saskatoon?

I was texting back and forth with Ted earlier today and it seems that he's intent on visiting me here next week.

I'm feeling blessed...

47

Today I turned 47.  Happy birthday.  My coworkers made me feel very special by "decorating" my office.  I think I'm in the enviable position of being recognized by many staff members on this special day.  I mean enviable in the sense that people seem to go out of their way to wish me a happy birthday.  Somehow it seems that everyone knows when my birthday is.  I compare this with the many wonderful people who's birthday comes and goes without anyone making mention if it.

I need to be more conscientious of other people's special days...

I know that I'm a year older, and I don't like that, but somehow, every time someone comes up to me and says "Happy Birthday!", my heart is warmed.

Tomorrow Eric and I are going to Saboroso to eat some serious rodizio.

Dance Me To The End Of Love (Leonard Cohen)

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

-----

Leonard Cohen

Dance me to the End of Love lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Last Hike Before Winter?

Today we conquered Blackstrap, covering about 12 kms.

A good group turned out, 13 in total.  The weather was cold and overcast so many of us kept our jackets and toques on the whole day, but that didn't dampen the warmth of conversation and laughter; a good group of people.

This may be our last hike before the real cold arrives.

Leonard

I'm devastated.

I've been searching for years for a musician whose music I can sink my music into.  Finally, earlier this year, I found him.  But today he died.

Composer of such gems as Hallelujah, Dance Me to the End of Love, and Take this Waltz, Leonard Cohen has - had - it all: the voice, the guitar, the mind, the intellect, the emotions, the sense of humour.  He had this brilliant ability to embrace the tensions of opposites in life: hope and despair, joy and sorrow, optimism and cynicism.  He could be both extremes at the same time.

His music was beyond categorization: pop, rock, soul, gospel, even country.  Of the typical categories, folk would probably describe him best, at least for me.

I heard someone describe his genre as "Truth".  Someone else categorized him as "Good".

Poet-singer?

Cohenesque?

Singer-songwriter?

Apparently when he was asked how to categorize his music, he replied with "Deeply agreeable to the heart."  That suffices, I think.

I will be listening for his music for the rest of my life I'm sure.  He was such a prolific writer, it will take me a good 2 years to even familiarize myself with his music, much less begin to understand and integrate it.

Lord have mercy on his soul.

What To Say

Earlier this year I was asked to speak on the topic of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID, aka Physician Assisted Suicide) at a church.  I did my best to prepare for the occasion, and actually, I over prepared - pages and pages of notes, quotes of important people, theories of personhood, stories of personal experience, and so on - only to change my mind completely on the way to the church and just speaking off-the-cuff.

Afterwards, a bunch of people came up to me and told me I did a great job.  One woman even asked if I could come and speak at a conference she and her group are organizing.  I took that day, and particularly the dropping of the script, as divine intervention.  God gave me the right words to use for the occasion.

Last month I got a call from a gentleman in charge of training deacons in the Regina diocese, and he asked if I would come and talk to his group about not only MAID but giving Spiritual Care to the elderly in general.  I hesitated but agreed.

Yesterday was "that day", the day I drove down to Regina and gave the presentation.  And unlike last time, this time I received no divine inspiration in the car.  It was a 3 hour session, and while overall I think things went well, I keep coming to the same conclusions: I'm not a good public speaker.

I don't know how to prioritize themes during preparation.  I don't know how to estimate the time it takes to cover a topic.  I'm terrified of blank looks, "dead air", irrelevant musings, hobby horses, and a dozen other issues that play with my mind before, during, and after giving a talk.  Like earlier this year, people came up to me afterwards and said "Great job".  But I'm never convinced they mean it.  I keep thinking they're just being polite.

I spend the night in Regina, and today had the opportunity to walk around Wascana Lake and park myself at a coffee shop to do some writing.  It was a beautiful day.