Hi to All,
Yesterday was another emotionally charged day. Muir Woods in northern California, just above the Golden Gate bridge, was the destination. In 1992 Susan and I spent a day here on our honeymoon amongst the majestic towering redwoods. We each felt a peace and fulfillment in this environment that we had never felt in nature before. The magic and majesty of the trees and forest overwhelms one's senses and erases any lingering concerns. It is a paradise.
I traveled here with my brother Ed and sister-in-law Cynthia whom I am staying with in Los Altos. As soon as we passed through the entrance and stopped at the gift shop I knew this was to be an extraordinary day. Surrounded by attention grabbing merchandise and tourists jabbering in every language, I stood motionless, seized by a tidal wave of emotion. With tears streaming down my face, I felt Susan's presence so strongly that I felt transported into another world. And once again, the closeness I experienced was so very exceptional, Susan's presence being not only imminently close, but within me, our souls joined in everlasting love. Standing in that one spot at that very moment was one of the most satisfying events of my life, and we hadn't even moved beyond the gift shop!
Once we took to the trails we hiked up hill to try to get away from the crowds. After about an hour we were several hundred feet higher and only saw an occasional hiker. We selected a secluded spot off the trail to perform our ceremony. The small clearing was marked by an impressive redwood, not the biggest or widest, but a tree with such character and presence that it seemed to call out to us. "Here I Am - I Am Here for You". It's bark was covered with the scars of centuries of rigorous life, overcoming adversities and successfully competing for divine sunlight. "I Am Here For Susan" were the words of an inner voice calling us.
Susan's ashes rested on a log. Cynthia placed a monarch butterfly on the log that she had taken from Susan's Memorial To Life. The time had arrived. I asked Cynthia to do the honors. She said she would be honored to.
Cynthia poured some ashes carefully on the roots of the tree and gently covered them with needles and bark. Then she sprinkled ashes on the wild orchids that grew profusely in that spot, on the ferns that nodded their heads gently in the breeze, on the clover that carpeted the ground, and finally, into the air currents that swirled around our heads. She pulled a small glass crystal from her purse that Susan had given her. The crystal contained the figure of an angel. She placed it gently into a crevice at the tree's base, sprinkled it with ashes, and covered it over. Her eyes brimming with tears, she held the empty container to her heart and whispered "thank you".
The hike back down was easy and joyful. We drove to Stinson Beach, a small town, population 446, just up the coast from Muir Woods, where Susan and I had camped after our day in the woods. Then we drove to Sausalito and had lunch at a wonderful restaurant that jutted out into San Francisco Bay. It was just a perfect day, and once again I could feel Susan's gratitude at being able to experience this journey with us. Such are the miracles of life, here and in heaven.
With much love and light,
Praying for peace,
Stan
