Telling the Truth

connecting the dots of my life

Tag: Death and Mortality

breathless

breathless
city of the dead
greets Eastern sun

*

It’s Holy Week
a period of self-reflection and waiting
not for death, but for life
rising out of improbable circumstances
from unexpected sources.
Small and large gifts of grace that never die,
all appearances to the contrary.

***

This haunting photo reminded me of Cairo’s City of the Dead. The warmth of the rising sun falls daily on its streets and small memorial houses to the dead, many without roofs. Open to the sky above. Breathless.

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 12 April 2017
Photo from Pixabay.com

A Shock, an Album and a Milestone

certainyears

Our daughter and her husband released this new album recently!

This morning I woke up to a shock. My hard-won weight plummeted this week. So did my body fat. Not good. So, like Ms Garmin, I’m recalculating my route from here to there–wherever that would be.

A few days ago I told D I felt I might not be long for this world. I think about death often. Am I ready? Probably. But do I want to die in my 70s? No. I’m not raising an alarm here—I’m just trying to point to change in my inner world.

I never used to think this way about myself. Not even when I was in desperate need of retiring from being dean. Back then I thought retirement would improve my health and wellbeing, including the likelihood that I would live to a ripe, healthy elder age.

Still, this past week had plenty of good news. Most exciting was the arrival of a vinyl recording of our daughter’s latest album, Certain Years. Our daughter is Two Ton Boa. She and her husband, also a musician, just released this album in several formats. It’s stunningly beautiful. A different take on life than her earlier recordings.

Our daughter has kindly given me permission to blog about the lyrics on this album and in any of her earlier truth-telling music. I don’t know when I’ll begin doing this. In the meantime, if you like music that haunts you in a really good way, at least take a free listen to the second track on the album, Lion Snow.

The other wonderful event—well, sort of wonderful—was turning in our two cars and downsizing to one. We went for a hybrid (Prius), and took advantage of year-end specials. We just picked it up two days ago, and though I haven’t driven it yet, I hope to get my chance this weekend.

And why was this only ‘sort of’ wonderful? It’s hard to give up that symbol of independence! So I’m counting on the heated front seats being so soothing this winter that I’ll forget all about my dearly beloved wheels that now languish somewhere without their proper owner.

Thanks for listening to this ramble. I pray your health is good enough to get you through today and the weekend without too much distress. I pray you’ll have a good Sabbath rest this weekend. And I pray you’ll be cheered and comforted by memories of certain years that, in wondrous ways, shaped you into the person you are today.

Love and hugs from the blogosphere,
Elouise

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 19 August 2016
Album cover for Two Ton Boa release, Certain Years

Mortal Woman

Night Sky Nov 14

I’m in the shady if not elderly bracket of life. You know. That time of life when people start treating you differently. Sometimes they don’t know whether to do obeisance because you’ve lived so long, or whether to treat you as Read the rest of this entry »