“The great Western empire of today is perfectly happy to have Christianity deconstructed into some form of neoBuddhism or whatever. Whereas, if Jesus actually rose from the dead, then Caesar in the first century and today’s Caesars should be shivering in their shoes, because this is going to make a difference in the real world.”
- Bishop N.T. Wright, The Forum at Grace Cathedral
In memory of my Daddy
I love you and I miss you
The flowering of Spring and the anniversary of my father’s death prompted me to publish this entry, which I originally posted on Conversation at the Edge last year.
I learned a beautiful lesson from nature a few years ago from a scene that unfolded outside my living room window during a very difficult time in my life…
In May 2003, my Dad died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. He was 56 and very healthy - a runner, cyclist and mountain climber. He just dropped dead one day and the coroner had his body for three days before they even found the cause of death. Dad was single and I’m the eldest child so the responsibility fell to me to take care of things. The shock and grief I felt were overwhelming and I had no clue what to do. The coroner said to me, “When we are ready to release his body, you will need to tell us where to send it.” That was when I realized, “Oh my God, I’m in charge here.” There was some family crap which exacerbated things and made it all more stressful and painful. I missed Dad desperately and felt helpless. But I’ve learned that you can do what you have to do.
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