[Oe List ...] A Very Brief Collegium

[Gordon Harper via OE]

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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