transitions
by Judy
November 5, 2016
It’s been now about 16 months since my mom died. Whenever I attempt to access what is happening for me, I find that I never can pin it down exactly as the “mourning” process for a loved one is in some ways forever and whatever I might say is not always true. Having said that, I do find that I am adapting more and more to the fact that my mom is gone. I still miss her; think about her and at times it is still painful. It’s like there is a place in my being that is always sad that she is gone, but that place gets less attention.
In a way, she is not gone either. I feel her presence with me; it’s almost as if I am speaking with her, laughing with her, carrying on conversations. Memories of her in the last years of her life at times fill me with sadness because it was not easy for her and at the same time, she became so soft-hearted and forgiving - there was so much grace and graciousness and that also has stayed with me and informs how I live now.
It is such a shared human experience as well…even non-human experience…loss and grief and missing and most importantly love
About four months ago on this site, I wrote at the end of my last essay that I had gotten more and more involved in my concern for this planet. I said that someone had even said to me recently that I had gone from caring for my mom to caring for the well-being of our earthly home.
I said that “I am envisioning at this point a new direction in my writing where I will be sharing this interest and care for mother earth; sharing what I am learning and doing; sharing my own personal journey into this complex and important area of concern.”
And that is what I am doing now. Yesterday I launched a new blog site called Spotlight Planet Earth www.spotlightplanetearth.com with the subtitle, “My On-going Encounter with Climate Change.” I have written my first post and would like to share it with all the readers on “When the Table Turns.”
In many ways, it seemed like a natural transition to direct my attention to this whole crisis we all find ourselves in – natural and choiceless just as it was with my mom.
I warmly invite you all to look into this new blog site. Just as I shared my journey with my mom at the end of her life which was very personal but also touched on what all of us experience, so I see this blog site as a way of sharing my journey into this very challenging arena. My hope is to shed light upon it and share what I am learning, doing, grappling with and inspired by with all of you.