I’ve known young William since 2016 when I stumbled upon a piece he’d written at Northwestern University, and was blown away by his intelligence and wit. And now here we are – ten years later – and today I finally got to meet William in the person!
William is extraordinary. This is not hyperbole. He actually is extraordinary. He’s kind and wise, and has a wonderful sense of humor. He’s a rocket scientist, a novelist, a cartographer, and he’s working on his second master’s degree – and he hasn’t even hit 30, yet!
This summer’s he’s been up here from his home base in California, doing an internship in the Seattle area. And today we met up for lunch at Tweets Cafe in the little foody town of Edison.
I got to introduce William to Mickey, who helped me when I found a turtle at Lake Padden, and who I later learned worked at Tweets. Mickey is AWESOME! We ordered our lunches – a half a roasted chicken for William, a quiche for me – and then sat out on the deck and talked and laughed like the old friends we are.
After lunch, I gave William a little tour of Edison and we bought treats at Breadfarm. Iris was manning the counter, and she was a hoot! She was very patient with me, and when I asked her if I could take her picture, she said she’d just go fetch our treats and then be back in a moment for her photo shoot.
A line of classic cars came through town, and I managed to snap a quick picture of a golden beauty. And little Baker and Brody pups appeared, and I got a picture of them, too.
William followed me in my car, Rosalita Ipswich O’Molenovich, with his car, Trigger, and I brought him back home so’s Scotty could give him a tour of his orchard, and I could give him some of Dad’s old maps. (I remembered that William had created his own maps for his novels, and thought he might appreciate bringing home a couple of Dad’s maps.)
And then it was time for William and Trigger to move on to more adventures (this was the most north Trigger and William have ever been – but tomorrow they go to Canada where they will set a new record for themselves.)
This week has brought me so many lovely meetings with old friends – with my former student, Jamie; with my old friend, Deidre; with Freida, a friend I met 50 years ago, and hadn’t seen for 25 years; with the Kuykendalls, who brought me that post card from the 1975 K2 expedition with Pop’s K2 painting on the cover; and, today, with my old young friend, William. This week has been a healing week for me – full of laughter and people who inspire me.
I am grateful for all the good. I am wealthy beyond imagining in the things that really matter.
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” – Romans 13 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” -Galatians 3
A dear conservative friend I met years ago through our shared Christian Science faith, posted a letter she liked from a conservative Evangelical minister, Jeff Mullin, to Texas Rep. James Telarico. In this letter Pastor Mullin lectures Rep. Telarico about statements the representative has made that don’t seem to fit Jeff Mullin’s understanding of The Bible or Jesus’ teachings. I’m not going to repost or share Pastor Mullin’s whole letter – you can find it for yourself online. But I would like to respond to Pastor Mullin’s points as a progressive Christian Scientist, using passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (published in 1875, long before Rep. Telarico, Pastor Mullin, or myself) by the founder of the Christian Science church, Mary Baker Eddy.
Pastor Mullin: “1. Concerning Your Statement that God Is Non-Binary…” Mary Baker Eddy writes: “Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God… The ideal man corresponds to creation, to intelligence, and to Truth. The ideal woman corresponds to Life and to Love. In divine Science, we have not as much authority for considering God masculine, as we have for considering Him feminine, for Love imparts the clearest idea of Deity.” (p. 517)
Pastor Mullin: “2. Concerning Your Statement That Other Religions Are Circling the Same Truth…”
Mary Baker Eddy: “Jesus’ history made a new calendar, which we call the Christian era; but he established no ritualistic worship. He knew that men can be baptized, partake of the Eucharist, support the clergy, observe the Sabbath, make long prayers, and yet be sensual and sinful.” (p. 20) “Our Master taught no mere theory, doctrine, or belief. It was the divine Principle of all real being which he taught and practiced. His proof of Christianity was no form or system of religion and worship, but Christian Science, working out the harmony of Life and Love.” (p. 26)
Pastor Mullin: “3. Concerning Your Statement That the Bible Is Silent on Abortion…”
Mary Baker Eddy: “According to recent lore, successive generations do not begin with the birth of new individuals, or personalities, but with the formation of the nucleus, or egg, from which one or more individualities subsequently emerge; and we must therefore look upon the simple ovum as the germ, the starting-point, of the most complicated corporeal structures, including those we call human. Here these material researches culminate in such vague hypotheses as must necessarily attend false systems, which rely upon physics and are devoid of metaphysics.” (p 5.49) “The continual contemplation of existence as material and corporeal – as beginning and ending, and with birth, decay, and dissolution as its component stages – hides the true and spiritual Life, and causes our standard to trail in the dust. If Life has any starting-point whatsoever, then the great I AM is a myth. If Life is God, as the Scriptures imply, then Life is not embryonic, it is infinite. An egg is an impossible enclosure for Deity.”
Pastor Mullin: “4. Concerning Your Use of Mary’s Consent to Defend Abortion Rights….”
Mary Baker Eddy: “Jesus was the offspring of Mary’s self-conscious communion with God.”
Pastor Mullin: “5. Concerning Your Statement that Jesus Was a Radical Feminist…”
Mary Baker Eddy: “One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself;’ annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.” (p. 340) “Civil law establishes very unfair differences between the rights of the two sexes. Christian Science furnishes no precedent for such injustice, and civilization mitigates it in some measure. Still, it is a marvel why usage should accord woman less rights than does either Christian Science or civilization. “Our laws are not impoartial, to say the least, in their discrimination as to the person, property, and parental claims of the two sexes. If the elective franchise for women will remedy the evil without encouraging difficulties of greater magnitude, let us hope it will be granted.” (p 63)
Pastor Mullin: “6. Concerning Your Statements About Biological Sex…”
Mary Baker Eddy: “Gender means simply kind or sort, and does not necessarily refer either to masculinity or femininity.” (p. 508) “Masculine, feminine, and neuter genders are human concepts.” (p. 516)
Pastor Mullin: “7. Concerning Your Support for Same-Sex Marriage and the Reinterpretation of Biblical Sexual Ethics…”
Mary Baker Eddy: “Kindred tastes, motives, and aspirations are necessary to the formation of a happy and permanent companionship.” (p 60) “Marriage should signify a union of hearts.” (p 64) “Matrimony, which was once a fixed fact among us, must lose its present slippery footing, and man must find permanence and peace in a more spiritual adherence.” (p 65)
Pastor Mullin: “8. Concerning the Danger of Reshaping Christianity to Fit Culture…”
Mary Baker Eddy: “Jesus’ promise is perpetual. Had it been given only to his immediate disciples, the Scriptural passage would read you, not they. The purpose of his great life-work extends through time and includes universal humanity. Its Principle is infinite, reaching beyond the pale of a single period or of a limited following.” (p 328-329) “Love is impartial and universal in its adaptations and bestowals.” (p. 13)
I woke up this morning completely unmotivated. I had no goal I wanted to reach; felt no need to go anywhere; had nothing on my schedule. I woke up lazy.
I wandered downstairs, put a cup of milk for cocoa in the microwave, set it for a minute, and jogged four laps around our circular floorplan before it pinged. Put some yogurt, blueberries and granola together for breakfast.
Still no plans.
I started working on my word puzzles, and, while I was doing that, a notification popped up that my friend, Diane Sue, was going to have her monthly zoom women’s gathering – a safe community she’s created for women to share what’s going on in their lives and support each other. I’ve been very sporadic about joining in these meetings, but today I felt guided to click on the zoom link, and pretty soon found myself surrounded by a group of dynamic, powerful, inspiring women from across the US, and from as far away as the UK and Australia. Love knows no boundaries.
Diane always ends these meetings with a breakaway session where we pair up with a partner and talk one-on-one about ideas that she gives us to work on. I’ve never stayed long enough at the meetings I’ve attended to do the breakaway thing – I’ve always felt weirdly shy about that. But today I gathered up my courage and stayed on. I was really hoping I’d get paired up with a woman named Lori who’d talked about listening to the voice that gives her guidance and direction. I could relate to that. But there were 12 of us, and the pairing is done randomly by computer, so the odds were I’d end up with another partner. And that would be okay, too. All these women are wise and kind.
But guess what?! Lori and I got paired up! And Lori said she’d been really hoping to be paired up with me! And later, Diane told us she’d almost stepped in to pair us up, but had decided to let the computer do its random thing. Cosmic, what?!
The zoom meeting lasted about an hour and a half, and I came away from it with hope for our world.
And then I closed my eyes, and let my thoughts drift, and when I opened them I had it in my noggin that I needed to take a bike ride to Edison and see what magic I could find there – I ALWAYS find magic in Edison.
So I rode my bike into the foody town, bought some chocolate treats from Dawn at Breadfarm to share with Scott, snapped a picture of a sweet pup named Seena who came out from under a bench to say hi, and then wandered down to Tweets Cafe. I knew I’d find new friends there – Tweets has that kind of magic.
And as soon as I stepped into the cafe, I felt part of a community.
There was a couple sitting at a table carving away at what looked like a whole roasted chicken – I think my mouth literally dropped open. “Wow!” I said. The couple looked up at me and started laughing. And then an amazing-looking salad was added to their table – and I had to apologize to the couple for staring, but… holy shamoley! They were both laughing with me then – and the woman, who introduced herself as Monse, said she understood, and graciously agreed to let me take a photo of her (you can see the salad, but the chicken was gone by this point). And THEN a little pup I hadn’t even known was there, suddenly appeared from under the table to say hi, and I snapped little Rina’s picture, too.
By the time I was done taking pictures of my new friends, a young woman had gotten into the line ahead of me, but when she realized what I’d been doing, Anna quickly stepped aside and let me back in my place. Soon after, all my coffee cards (and there are a lot of them) fell out of my wallet and onto the floor, and now the man in front of me in line stooped down to help me pick them up. I thanked him, and turned around to thank Anna again for letting me back in line. “People really take care of each other here, don’t they?” I said. And Anna smiled and nodded and agreed.
When it was my turn to give my order, I ordered an iced mocha and the peach pie with whipped cream that I’d seen the man in front of me walk away with. I asked Anna if I could snap her photo, and she agreed and asked me if I was a blogger. I said yes, and this is when the cheery young woman at the counter got a big smile on her face and said, “You’re Karen! You’re the one who found the turtle on the path at Lake Padden! Do you remember me? I’m Mickey!” And of course I remembered Mickey! We’d taken pictures of each other holding the turtle I’d found on a gravel trail at Lake Padden at the beginning of June. The other servers gathered around Mickey while she told them about the turtle, and, of course, I snapped their photo. I am incorrigible.
I wasn’t in Edison more than half an hour, and look at all the kind people and new friends I met!
I’m so glad the Cosmos led me to click on that zoom link this morning, and I’m so glad the Cosmos led me to get on my bike.
So many wonderful people to meet in the world – and I met a whole lot of them on my weekend trip to LA!
There was Heath who was sleeping on this way cool Inflatable bed in one of the waiting areas at Sea-Tac. When he woke up, he told us he’d bought his bed to use for the work he does on the north slope of Alaska. When he deflated it – and he did that really quickly – it fit into this tiny bag that he stuffed in his backpack.
Not long after Heath left to board his flight home to Boise, we met Aubrey, who was flying with her mom, dad, brother, and younger sisters to LA. Aubrey and I talked a bit about our travels and I learned that she’d gone to the Philippines on a mission with the LDS church when she was out of high school. I told Aubrey that, as a teacher, some of my favorite students had been LDS because they were always polite and respectful, and were able to share what they believed without being argumentative. I admitted that I’d guessed they were an LDS family and had assumed they’d be taking the flight to Boise. Aubrey and her family nodded their heads and laughed at this, and Aubrey’s mom said they did indeed use to live in Idaho.
The day after I landed at LAX, my daughter-in-law, Christina, brought me to the annual Swirl Surfskater fest in Venice Beach, founded by women to cultivate community through skateboarding. It was so fun! There were free things and special deals and friendly people and PUPS! I was in Karen-heaven.
Christina introduced me to her friend, Gonzo, who has a shop that sells jewelry made by women in his home country of Kenya. (I bought two pairs of earrings because I could not choose just one.) Gonzo is one of those people who just radiates pure love. I felt an immediate connection to him. When we parted we both simultaneously put our hands over our hearts in recognition of kindred spirits.
Out on the beach, a woman was selling colorful bags of fruit. I was impressed by how she was transporting them – on top of her head! – and asked her if I could take her picture, before buying a bag of mangos from her. It was a HUGE bag! I ended up going around, asking random people if they’d like a piece of mango – the young woman sitting on the bench behind me, the young man sitting on the other side of the bench (they both said “Yes, thank you!”), a group of motorcyclists, who smiled and declined. Giving away mango bits is a good way to meet strangers.
There was Seamus pup with a pink mohawk, and Buttons and Brooklyn pups with very chic pompoms on their heads; there were beautiful people handing out free things – Odalis, Charlotte, Tatum, and Niora; and Riley, who was creating discounted tattoos at the tattoo booth; and there was this wonderful family – Nasim, Esme, and Linus – selling “LIVE A LOT” caps designed by the youngster of the family, Linus. (I bought a red cap with cheery yellow letters.)
We visited the Vietnamese Market in Westminster on Saturday night, where I ordered a boba drink from Jing, and snapped a photo of some cool shoes being worn by Matthew.
When we got to LAX for our return trip, I needed to get some beverage in me – I was really thirsty. I went to the Peet’s Coffee shop where I saw a green drink being made by the barista. At that moment, Jose came up to claim the drink – he was bringing it to a coworker – and I asked him what the drink was. Jose told me it was a matcha tea and that nobody made a better one that his friend, the barista, Dylon. Dylon guided me through the process of ordering a matcha – what kind of milk? sweetened or unsweetened? Dylon told me some people really like matcha and some people really don’t – and then he waited to see my reaction. It was really good! “You did good, bud,” I told him, and he grinned.
I went to get pizza at the pizza shop next door, and Elena – who was very kind – was sorry to tell me they were all out of pizza, but she pointed me in the direction of another pizza shop. When I got to the Wolfgang Puck pizza place, a woman stopped me to ask about my amber necklace, and then I remarked on her necklace – which she told me actually has a little light inside it. I love meeting fellow rock-lovers, and Batman let me take a picture of all her rock jewelry.
We’d gotten to LAX a few hours early, and, in the waiting area for our plane, I saw a flight attendant standing there and asked her if she was going to be the flight attendant for our flight out. She grinned and said she was! I told her I’d never seen a flight attendant waiting in the waiting area before, and it was cool to actually meet the flight attendant for our flight before we got on board. She laughed and said she’d arrived early and that’s why she was there – and noted that I’d arrived early, too. We introduced ourselves – she introduced herself as “Michelle” and I introduced myself as “Karen, because you’ve got to have at least one Karen on your flight, and I’m yours.” She laughed and agreed it was important to have a Karen on board. Later on, when we were in-flight, Michelle and I waved at each other and she introduced me to the other flight attendant as her friend, Karen. I told the other attendant that Michelle and I were old friends now, and Michelle nodded in agreement.
July 18th: I spent time at Peace Arch Park today hanging out with my friends from the “Peace, Love and a Handshake” group. I found bountiful border magic today. I met some way cool people; made new pup friends; and found a whole lot of floral magnificence. I always come away from these Canadian-American gatherings feeling inspired and hopeful for our world.
As I arrived in the park, I could hear Lean on Me playing over the loudspeaker. and I knew Haidee was in charge of the music – she always picks the best songs. Sure enough, as I approached the group, Haidee saw me, and we began to dance towards each other with our signs, to the beat of Lean on Me. I love these people!
Peace Arch Park is looking fine, my friends. Whatever lovely, dedicated people tend to the gardens have my respect and gratitude. The flowers are brilliant – geraniums, asters, hydrangeas, purples and oranges, reds and yellows. And there are these quiet, shady little nooks and crannies built into the park that offer those zen moments we all need in our lives.
I saw a young man taking a photo of his partner in front of the Peace Arch, and I offered to take a picture of both of them together. Nadun and Ruvini smiled and thanked me and handed me a phone. I learned that they were originally from Sri Lanka and had immigrated to Canada in the last couple years so Ruvini could get her Master’s in Education. Ruvini and I talked about teaching for a while then and I, once again, enjoyed the connections I always find with the people I meet. Ruvini and Nadun had been out shopping and, on impulse, had decided to check out Peace Arch Park today. They weren’t planning on going beyond the park and crossing over the border. Nadun shook his head and grinned and said it was so “random” that we met today. And I said, “Cosmic!”
Ranger Rick and Destiny came out to chat with the folks in the park then – to make sure we all had our Discovery Passes showing on our car windows. The people who work in the park are very cool – kind and friendly and helpful.
As I was walking back to my car, taking pictures of the flowers, I passed a family coming down from the parking lot. We got to talking and I learned that Angela and Dante and their grandaughters had traveled all the way from Florida, and were planning on crossing over into Canada and stopping at the first big city they found, and then coming back to the States later today. One of the little granddaughters told me that she and her sister had actually started their journey in Texas, before joining their grandparents in Florida. Imagine the adventures this family has had!
I decided to walk down to the L&L Bakery to get myself some macarons, and on the way I met Sandy and Luna pups, and their human, Anthony. Anthony gave me permission to take a picture of his sweet pups, and Sandy and Luna came up for pets.
Macarons and pups, new friends, and a park full of flowers – I was in Karen-heaven today.
I wake up and reach for my phone to find the time and moments later I’m bobbing along in the Eff Bee whitewater with my fellows posters – good morning, world! – and I’m trying to dodge the flotsam and jetsam of a culture that seems Intent on keeping the world’s hatred and fear fueled. I’m dodging words: “libtard” and “Karen” and “POS” and “asshat” – and there’s talk of violence – mob mentality – coming from both sides – all sides – and, of course, there’s the logjams of the “experts” appearing periodically to provide background info on the history of Nazis and the Civil War. I was a history major myself and I can relate to the urge to show off my expertise on these things, but my intuition is telling me that, for the people flailing in the whitewater with me, now is not the time to pause to give a history lesson – maybe we can do that later when we reach a quiet eddy in the river. Right now the roiling current pulls us towards the boulders – tribalism, greed, me-firstness, bigotry, bullying, ego – and I point my feet down the river as the whitewater guides told me to do – and I choose to keep my survival simple for myself – Love. Love is my lifevest. Keep it simple. I don’t have to choose sides or who to love. Keep it simple. I choose Love – all-encompassing, all-enveloping, universal, unconditional, all-inclusive Love. I let Love guide me through the whitewater.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Below: Anderson Creek. Photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell.
I felt the need to go to a quiet place – somewhere away from the crowds and noise. I headed for Clayton Beach.
I’d gotten about half-way down the trail to the beach when I heard happy laughter and chatting behind me. I turned around to see about a dozen women coming down the trail. I pulled off to the side so they could pass, and they stopped to chat for a bit. I learned they were a hiking group from Hillcrest Church in Fairhaven. And then one of the women in the back stepped forward and I recognized Francine – the mother of three of my former eighth graders – and the pediatrician who’d been called in at the birth of my oldest son. Francine is one of my favorite people, but I haven’t seen her for years. It was cosmic to run into her in the middle of a trail in the Chuckanut woods!
But wait! There’s more!
The group of women went ahead of me, and I followed behind, stopping to snap pictures every now and then. When I crossed the bridge over the train tracks, I found one of the women waiting for me on the other side. She asked me if I’d ever lived in Kitsap County. I told her that I’d actually graduated from high school there. She said she had, too, and then she asked me if I’d ever taught there. I almost answered no, and then I remembered that year I’d taken over a fifth grade class a month into the school year, years ago. It had been my first real teaching gig, and it had been a challenge for me. I told her the name of the school that had housed my fifth grade class, and she said she’d gone there, and so had her younger brother, David. She said she thought I’d been her brother’s teacher, and gave his last name. Immediately the face of her brother came into my thoughts – I remembered him, and I remembered what a cool kid he was!
I asked her where David was now, and she let me know he’d passed ten years ago. My heart sank. I told Julie how much I’d enjoyed her little brother. And then Julie told me that she remembered me as being a positive part of David’s life, and she remembered her parents had liked me. That meant a lot to me – I hadn’t felt like a success that year. To know that I’d had a positive impact on even one child’s life was a healing thing.
I went on down to the beach, took a right between the big rocks, and looked out at the water for a while. There was a nice breeze blowing down there. I always feel Love speaking to me when there’s a nice breeze, and I feel the love of loved ones who have departed. I thought about David and Francine and Francine’s children. Sweet memories. Sweet connections.
I moved back to the main beach. A pup came bounding down to the beach from the trail, leaped onto a log, bounced onto another log, and scampered back to her humans. She was delightful. Her humans gave me permission to take more photos of Tulia, and I managed to capture one of her as she peeked over a log at me.
I met up with the women from the Hillcrest church again before I started back up the trail. I told Julie that she had David’s eyes, and she smiled and asked, “I do?” I told her yes, I remembered David’s bright eyes. Francine and I hugged again, and she took a picture of us together to show to her daughter.
When I got to the bridge over the train tracks, I moved to the mesh wires to take a picture of the tracks, and just at that moment an AmTrak train came around the curve as if just for me! Grinning, I waved to the train and snapped pictures as it moved towards me.
It was a lovely walk back through the woods and to my car. My heart was all filled up with the wonder of the unexpected gifts the Cosmos continually sends me.
Pop was born on June 21, 1918, and lived 101 years after that. He died the day before the first case of the pandemic was reported in this country. He had impeccable timing.
But more important to me, personally, than his mountaineering achievements, was who he was as my dad. In the last years of his life, he lived near me, and we were able to spend a lot of time together – going on drives, and exploring the highways and byways of this part of the state.
Dad: Let’s head out into the open countryside, head towards the coast. Karen: Let’s do it! Dad: I don’t want to go into the city. I don’t want to run errands with you. (I nod my head in understanding.) Dad: (His voice cracking.) I love you. Karen: I love you, too. Dad: It’s nice that we have each other to love. Karen: Yes, it is! Dad: Thank you for including me when you take these drives. (I smile – I take these drives FOR Dad.)
I turn onto Samish Island Road, thinking maybe I’ll go to Bayview State Park. Dad: Have you ever been to that little island that’s connected to the land? Karen: Samish Island? Do you want to go there? (Dad nods his head, and I head out to do the loop around Samish Island.) Dad: Is Mom alive? (I shake my head no.) Dad: I had a dream that she’d died. (He starts tearing up.) I think I’ve already mourned her. (Dad’s quiet for a bit. We’ve almost finished the Samish Island loop now.) Dad: Can we see Mount Rainier from here? Karen: I think it’s hidden behind those hills. Dad: Let’s go someplace where we can walk on a beach. (I head for Bayview State Park.)
After parking, Dad and I make our way to a bench near the beach. When I’m getting Dad’s walker out of the back of the car, I see the cans of root beer I put in there months ago – I’d bought them for Dad, and had forgotten about them. Now I grab one, join Dad on the bench, and hand the root beer to him. His face lights up and he smiles and takes it from me. Dad: Do you ever dream about Mom? Karen: Yes. I had a dream that she was sitting on the top bed of a bunk bed, dangling her feet over the edge. She had a happy, mischievous smile on her face. There was an open casket on the bed behind her. She said, “I’m done with this!” and hopped down. I felt like she was done with the whole dead-thing, and was happy. Have you had a dream about Mom? Dad: Yes. I dreamed she died. Karen: She loved you, and loves you very much. Dad: She was such a wonderful person. Karen: Yes, she is! (Dad and I are quiet for a while, just enjoying the sunshine.) Dad: This is nice here. I’m glad we made this stop. That’s a nice, gentle breeze. It smells like saltwater. (He belches and laughs at his own belch.)
When we get back in the car, Dad says he had a dream where he had to fart once, but there was no place to fart. He starts laughing – cracking himself up. I’m laughing, too. Then Dad asks, “Do you and Mom have a lot of nice conversations?” And I tell him that we do.
As we’re heading back to Dad’s home, he turns his head and points, “That would make a happy picture! That house all covered in flowers! But I don’t have my camera with me…” I turn the car around and head back to the flower-bedecked house, and get out my camera for Dad to snap a photo.
We get back to his home, and Dad doesn’t recognize it at first – he has moved three times in the last year, and it’s all a little confusing. I explain that their last home couldn’t take Mom and him back when Mom got sick. And then when Mom passed, we had to find another home for Dad. I tell Dad that I felt that Mom had directed us to this place – a place with hummingbird feeders and cats and dogs. Dad asks, “So Mom knows these people then?” And I think about this, and then nod my head yes. (I believe Mom does know these people, even if they never actually met in the person.)
Dad gets back in the house and doesn’t recognize anything. I ask him if he wants to go to his room – and he asks, “I have a room here?” I point the way, and once he enters he says, “Oh! I remember this place now!” He sees his paintings on the walls, and pictures of his friends and family. He realizes he’s home. He starts grinning at himself and says, “I’ve been thanking these people for allowing me to stay here.”
Dad points to a book by Leif Whittaker about Leif’s father, Jim. “I think I got that book for Christmas.” I tell him that I think Jim Whittaker gave him that book when he came to visit him here. “Jim visited me here?!” Yes, I tell him, also his friends Rick and Cindy, and Tom Hornbein, and Mary from the Mountaineers. Dad is shaking his head in amazement now. He says, “The things I’ve forgotten would fill a book!”
Karen: Are you going to take a nap now? Dad: Yes, I want to make that transition into the dream. Karen: What dream is that? Dad: (Tearing up.) The dream about the real world. (And I know he’s thinking about the world where Mom is still with him.) Karen: I love you, Dad. Dad: I love you, Karen.
I’m going to assume that when Michelle Obama speaks of seeing the “humanity in all people” she really means ALL people – every race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, size, and political leaning – and, yes, that includes the MAGA folks, too. It saddens and distresses me when the inspiring speeches made by the Obamas are used as just another way to vent hate on “the others.” We have enough of that already. Maybe we can take a moment and honor the Obamas by trying to look for the good in EVERYone, and nurturing that.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them… And God saw everything He had made and, behold, it was very good.” – Genesis 1
May 31: Today when I landed in Fairhaven, I got there so early that my car was the first one parked on the block. It came to me that I hadn’t been to the Cafe Blue in a while, and I decided that that’s where today’s adventures would start.
Even that early, the cafe was brimming with happy people when I walked in. Micah, the owner of the cafe, looked over and saw me and greeted me. He remembered me! – and thanked me again for the book I’d given him last year. The counter person who was taking my order asked about the book. I told her that I like to write stories about the cool people I meet on my adventures, and Micah is one of those cool people and he’s in one of my books. She grinned and wrote down my name so she could find my books at the Bellingham library.
The Cafe Blue is one of those places with an abundance of magic.
Micah and his cafe are magnets for kindness and good will. When I was done ordering my mocha and a strawberry pastry, I found one last table that wasn’t occupied, and settled onto a bench there. The young man in the line after me wasn’t going to be able to find an empty table, though, and I told him to feel free to share my table with me. He smiled and thanked me and settled onto the other end of the bench to work on his project.
I watched people come into the shop and greet each other, laughing and enjoying their time together, while soft music played in the background. When it was time to go, I stopped to say good bye to Micah. “This place attracts kindness,” I told him, “and you’re at the center of it all, Micah. Thank you.” Micah smiled his wonderful smile and thanked me for coming back to his shop, and we wished each other good days.
I wandered down to Marine Park from the cafe. A couple coming out of the park told me that they’d been watching a fledgling osprey learning how to fly, and told me where I could find it, if it was still there. Alas, it was not. But I did see my old friend, Dan, and his pup, Jakada – it’s always good to see them. A rousing game of kayak polo was going on in the bay, too, and I stopped to take a couple photos.
I decided to check out the heron rookery and see how the chicks were coming along. The chicks have GROWN since I was last there. Every now and then one would stretch its wings – like it was preparing to fly. That was cool to see.
I went through the dog park, and through the woods for a while, and then, when it was time, back to my car.
I met new pup friends today: Elmer and Hoby and a sweet little blue-eyed pup whose name has slipped into the ether. I met new human friends, too – Luke (the blue-eyed pup’s human), and the couple that told me about the osprey; and about half a dozen people at the rookery who shared the heron magic with me. Bill was there, too, feeding peanuts to the crows he met along the way.
I always leave my walks in Bellingham with a smile on my face, feeling good about sharing this planet with such beautiful earthlings – two-footed, four-footed, feathered and furred.
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 