For Ellie, Thank you for the beauty and grace of your Witness. The images are many and the sentiments rich and full of meanings. I found it good to relate to our season here, with the pictures of summer fruits and flowers. You are gifting us with natural beauty and feelings we all feel.🙏 May Hope, Peace, Joy and Love be yours and to all on this list in the approaching New Year. From Isobel in Sydney Australia. 🇦🇺 Isobel Bishop Mob. 0412 129 425

On 28 Dec 2022, at 2:38 pm, Ellie Stock via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:  Hi Folks,

In the midst of being impacted by all that is going on now globally, nationally, ecologically, politically, economically, culturally, and personally, I hope you also being sustained and nurtured by the deep wells of wellness and wholeness during this Christmas season.

Below is a birthday witness, not a song, despite the title, provoked by the end-of-life sessions faciliated by Dick Alton and similar sessions during our church Sunday Forums.

Grace and peace as we enter the new possibilities of 2023.

Ellie Stock elliestock@aol.com

~~~~~~~

A BIRTHDAY WITNESS:

ONE LAST SONG

One last song as light recedes to light One last song still falling in love with Life One last song in gratitude for birth One last song in gratitude for Earth for Creation’s mirth and expanding girth One last song for Spirit’s rising Cry for heart’s ecstasy and ebbing sigh

So, THANKS BE for Awe-filled misting mountain sunrise skies For big tree forests and butterflies For sandy sea shorelines scattered with shells, sparkling and gurgling in surging tide’s swells For kittens and birdsong and tiny green tree froggies piercing my being with wide red-eyed gogglies For brilliant fall leaves and snow-blanketed cities For wind and rain and weather proclivities For morning walks, sensing Nature’s delights For evening ponderings of things out of sight For awakening aroma of blossoming orange grove and peonies For yummy ice cream and healing fresh fruits and veggies For dark night desert skies and bold winking stars For crescent moon and Venus kissing from afar So . . .

Ref

So, THANKS BE for homes and hearths and hearts of hope and humor and welcoming the guest For close family bonds and covenant love, passionate embraces and babes at breast For beloved friends, colleagues, and the communion of saints who gave more than their best living their care and dying their dare, ashes to ashes, dust to dust For smiles and laughter, celebrations and commemorations giving life zest For humbling struggles and empowering quest For meetings and movement marches embodying a vision of resilient, Earth-integrity communities of diversity, justice, and communion For the arts that enliven and encourage the soul For wisdom that enlightens and transforms our goals For silence and stillness that melts us into deeper and broader dimensions of self and love For pilgrimages that honor countries and cultures with renewing compassion For Beings of the Way that live with passion—that sing and dance and partner in solidarity with Those Who Care, with those who are suffering For the unconditional Word about Life that frees us to Know, Do and Be courageously: Life is Good; I am Beloved; the Past is Forgiven; and the Future is Possibility For the Atomic and Cosmic Song and Dance, Grace from particularity to eternity For the wonder of Earth, our Common Home, our Common Origin and Destiny For the joy and grief of Life’s journey’s Calling from 13.8 billion years ago Through rise and collapse to the seventh generation, may it be so… in Hope beyond hoping Peace passing understanding Joy and thanksgiving unceasing and Love unconditioning So . . .

Ref ejhs 10/22/2022 _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE@lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net