26 Dec 2011

Christmas Day Death

It was a different Christmas. White.  Beautiful. A new moon. The day started with a phone call to tell us our friend had passed away.  He'd been suffering in the final stages of cancer for a few weeks, so it wasn't a shock as such, but still, it was very real.

Life ending.

H. was busy on the phone, being the closest friend he had to let people know. He said I should go for a board and then come pay respects to the body.  I think he wanted time to himself too, this friend goes back way longer than our relationship.

Got into the car.  First song that came on my i-pod was Queen, 'Who Wants to Live Forever'  ha!  How apt.  Brought tears to my eyes that didn't stop flowing all the way up the mountain.  We'd been expecting this call for a few weeks now.  Once it come though, that was it.   I just had a couple of runs down, boarded like a bat out of hell.  Felt like I had to get something out of me, had no fear, and was going well over speed for so early in the season.  Felt good.  Then cried all the way back down the mountain to more Queen. I guess we all deal with things in different ways.   He was a boarder too, maybe I was connecting.

Went to pay my respects, his face looked so peaceful the pain had gone.  Yet another body with no one home. 

Again in the midst of more Japanese funeral rituals.  More reminders.  Close friends gathered in the evening, told stories, talked about life and death and the nature of it all.  Am always thankful for the yoga philosophy at times like this.

4 comments:

  1. I'm sorry, Esther. Best wishes for love and comfort from here. xx

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  2. you know i know how you feel ... well not quite yet. probably only a few weeks though. I hear Japanese funeral rituals are quite beautiful. You are in my thoughts today. xo

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