[Oe List ...] the pine box

[Herman Greene]

You can't be!

 

  _____  

From: oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net
[mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Charles Hahn
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 5:09 PM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] the pine box

 

Nancy,
What a moving and profound and down to earth story.  I was moved.  Keep the
memory alive on Sunday, the 9th,  It is my birthday and I'll be 82.
Our best wishes.
Charles and Doris too

On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 3:30 PM, Nancy Lanphear <nancy at songaia.com> wrote:

Dear Ones, 

The image of a PINE BOX seems to be emerging as a topic of another story ...
and as it has,  I would offer the story of a "pine box".  As the day of
Fred's memorial service was dawning our son Bob and his son, Mason  went to
the barn here at Songaia where all reusable and some not so, are kept. Much
of the salvaged material was Fred's doing ... "it might come in handy one
day" ... Fred's body was cremated so it was his ashes were available for the
ceremony.

However, it seemed appropriate for a man whose whole life had been one of
simplicity and frugality to have the image of the pine box as a means of
burial.  

Bob and Mason built the burial box with several pieces of wood that they
found ... they fashioned it with love, a bit of sanding so it would be
smooth and brought it into the house just before the memorial service.  Yes,
yet another ritual was immediate  ..... each of the family members decided
what objects Grandpa Fred needed to take with him .... a piece of lichen
(Bruce) , a Kenyan statue (Bob) ,his wedding and community (silver) rings
(Nancy), a piece of blue cloth (Nancy), a puzzle piece (Sandy).  There were
several other items the strangest of all was a piece of bread with spaghetti
sauce on it - spaghetti was one of Fred's very favorite meals.

The second anniversary of Fred's death comes very soon, 9/9 2012.  Although
he continues to be missed, quoted, remembered with his writings and stories,
songs and of course, his presence, our lives are full and good.  A wooden
owl sits high on top of the gazebo in our Songaia garden - the gazebo was
dedicated to Fred during our Festival of the Earth in May of 2010 - the owl
was found and place on the roof in Fred's honor .... his middle initial is O
- for Orville.  Our community seems to find, create  and use spaces for
sacredness, song and ritual at a moments notice.... it is certainly one of
our most wonderful gifts.  

With love, 

Nancy

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