My Father passed away on October 4th, 2008 while we were touring Inca ruins in Peru, South America. This was not a particularly unexpected event as his health had been generally in decline for the past couple of years. We celebrated his funeral upon our return on Friday October 10th. Although it is always sad to say good-bye to a loved one in life, I'm comforted by the exemplary life he led and that he is once again is by my mother's side.
Ron sent me a very nice quotation by Thick Nhat Hanh from The Heart of Understanding --
A wave on the ocean has a beginning and an end, a birth and a death. But the wave is empty. The wave is full of water, but is empty of a separate self. A wave is a form which has been made possible thanks to the existence of wind and water. If a wave only sees its form, with its beginning and end, it will be afraid of birth and beath. But if the wave sees that it is water, identifies itself with the water, then it will be emanicipated from birth and death. Each wave is born and is going to die, but the water is free from birth and death.
So please continue to look back and you will see that you have always been here. Let us look together and penetrate into the life of the wave, to realize our own nature as water and be free from our fear. If we look very deeply, we will transend birth and death.
Tomorrow, I will continue to be, but you will have to be very attentive to see me. I will be a flower or a leaf. I will be in these forms and I will say hello to you. If you are attentive enough, you will recognize me, and you may greet me. I will be very happy.