My grampa is an amazing guy. He is a retired minister who marched with King in his youth. Now he speaks simply and with peace. It is *really* helpful for my world view to have an elderly relative who is at peace with the death cycle. He emailed me this week and I thought I would share:

Dear Family
This morning our bus took me to the seashore where I ran, walked, and jogged in and out as the roaring waves came in. Memories were stirred as I remember 75 years ago jumping waves for the first time at the L.A. beaches. Now again I'm beginning to appreciate the ceaseless surf, birds, seagulls and the new style of life in Southern California.

Life is very stimulating. I just wrote my second book review on Morrie Swartz's life. He taught at Brandeis University for 35 years. and died of Lou Gehrig's disease. He ends his story with an allegory his teacher taught him as a young boy:

"There's this little wave, a he wave bobbing up and down in the ocean off the shore,having a great time. All of a sudden ,he realizes that he is going to crash into the shore. In this big wide ocean, he's now moving toward the shore,and he'll be annihilated.
"My God what's going to happen to me?" he says a sour and despairing look on his face.
Along comes a female wave bobbing up and down, having a great time. And the female wave says to the male wave, "Why are you so depressed?"
The male wave says, "You don't understand. You're going to crash that shore,and you'll be nothing."
She says, "You don't understand. You'e not a wave, you're part of the ocean."

That's what I believe too. I'm not a wave; I'm part of all humanity. I'm going to die, but I'm also going to live on. In some other form? Who knows? But I believe that I am part of a larger whole"


Have a happy All-Saints Week-end. At our Party I dress in my costume and French Beret and spin a tray singing a song I wrote years ago.
Blessings and my prayers - Caleb Elroy

October 24, nineteen99


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