[Dialogue] [Oe List ...] A Very Brief Collegium

[Susan Fertig via Dialogue]

Oh, my, Gordon. You were supposed to live forever!  And I rather suspect you will, whatever anyone says to debunk the idea of something coming after. I expect to, myself, and I expect you to as well. What a gift you are to all of us, now and forever, to us and those who come after us. Having been through something the doctors thought to be terminal about 13 years ago, I came to terms with surrender, and when it turned out not to be fatal after all, I remember this flash of disappointment—I had been so ready for the journey, the next adventure. After all, what hubris to think that we puny human beings, striving against that wind that blows so finely and so fiercely, are the sheer culmination of this strange thing called “life” and “spirit”.! I doubt not at all that there is something amazing waiting to happen when we shed these earthly bonds.

Expecting to see you on the other side, dear friend, whenever either of us gets there. P.s. doctors don’t know everything or I wouldn’t still be here.
Susan

Susan Fertig-Dykes
(personal email account)

Please note: my personal email address has changed. Please change your contact information for me to reflect the new address, which is SFERTIG at BLUESKYTECH.US<mailto:SFERTIG at BLUESKYTECH.US>.

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought .  Isaiah 58:11


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From: OE [mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Gordon Harper via OE
Sent: Friday, September 04, 2015 12:19 AM
To: ICA/OE List Serves; Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: [Oe List ...] A Very Brief Collegium


Beloved Colleagues --


Few of us, as the end of life approaches, get the chance to speak directly to anything like our whole community.  It appears that I have that opportunity, and I’m taking advantage of it.


Last week, after two months of medical testing to find out what had suddenly landed on me and drained me of my strength and usual energy, Roxana and I got the diagnosis.  It’s a rare form of fairly fast moving (typically two months to two years) leukemia, called CMML.  There’s little to be done to treat it, especially in someone my age (about to be 79). I'm getting good medical care and have a fine local support community here in Seattle.


First of all, I want you all to know that I am at peace with this, as is Roxana.  My life--in good part because of you--has been rich, crazy, wonder-filled and a unique and unrepeatable journey with the Mystery. And no one knows better than you and I how to celebrate both our being here and the completion of our journeys.


I am taking this rare chance to express to all of you how much you’ve meant to me over the years--as the amazing collection of individual nobodies we are that rode out like the Man of La Mancha to throw our beings into the challenge of bending history.  More than that, you all contributed your own weird and special gifts, neuroses and idiosyncrasies to the makeup of our corporate life and community, all over the world.  Without you, there’d never have been such a community; so thank you, thank you, thank you.


I hope to be able to chat with at least some of you individually or collectively over the time remaining to me, through one of the dizzying array of communication tools at hand today, and give you a little abuse. (What else would you expect from me? And please--do return the favor.) We’ll see how things work out.  In the meantime, this note will have to stand for my salute to all of you, my heartfelt gratitude for your having been and continuing to be who you are and for that remarkable webbing and mission that connects us.


The peace of God is yours this day --


Gordon

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