Thoughtful Thursday: Death & Transition

Every Thursday I post a quote or thought for all of us to ponder. Today’s quote is:
There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in …Leonard Cohen

I heard these words on the radio several weeks ago, jotted down the line from the song, and it kept floating through my days, like a hot air balloon that got stuck in a tree somewhere. It’s so true. There’s a crack right now. A dear friend and mentor passed away last week, very suddenly. Her New Years card sent the 2nd week in January said “Happy Enlightened New Year. Call me at this number. “ I tore out the part of the card that included the number, and left it on the shelf above my blue kitchen desk for 5 months. Everyday I looked at it and left it there because I knew when I had a moment I was going to sit with a cup of tea and talk with her.

Then a few weeks ago, I decided to clean off my shelf. I added her cell number to my cell phone, so I would always have it with me. I realize now that throwing away the torn card coincided with her going into the hospital.

I don’t regret that I didn’t call in time to talk with her. It just was one of those things. What I focus on is her sparkling eyes, giggles, and laughter. I’ll always be grateful to her because she turned me on to my coaching career by bringing the Option Method into my life in 1991, then introduced me to Mandy Evans, who I then studied with for many years.

Karling’s gift of teaching and inspiring others reached around the world. She taught meditation from Hawaii to Spain and places in between. Her new years letters were filled with names of all of her 10 children and stepchildren, their spouses, children, grandchildren and how she and her husband had visited most of them that year.

There’s a crack in my heart, but the light is coming in. Broken open, broken free. She will always represent fullness of life, love and laughter. I feel her presence very tangibly. I know I felt the essence of St. Francis in his church in Assisi also . I wasn’t expecting to, especially since there were hoards of tourists stomping through the church, passing the pew where I sat crying soft tears. But it was clearly palpable.

Is it love that’s left behind? Love from the flash of light?

Karling drove to Chicago once with me, my husband, and my son. My son was 3 or 4 years old. When he asked how much longer and I said, 3 hours, he cried, “Oh my GAW” He had a little problem saying some letters like “D”. Karling roared with laughter from the back seat she was sharing with him. It was our personal joke whenever she and I were together, and something outrageous happened, we’d look at each other and say, “Oh my GAW!”

I did call her to give her my love, but later found out she had already made the transition. I left a message.
If you’re thinking of getting in touch with a loved one, do it now. If everything has a crack, then may lots of light come into your space..

How have you allowed the light to enter after you have dealt with death of a loved one?

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