Leaving ...

A note would be nice.

A friend took her life recently and didn’t leave a note. That got me wondering about the value of a good bye message from all of us.

Years ago when I was writing books with a meditation teacher in Virginia, I sat with him the last week of his life and wrote a farewell message to his followers. He wasn’t able to speak at that point but we had a deep collaborative history so I was able to divine what he wanted to say and, when I read the short passage to him, he managed a smile and nodded. What I/we wrote got printed on a large poster in the foyer of their meditation hall where it lives as a memorial to the man.

During that week, I sensed where his evolution was taking him, from a more mental approach to something more loving, so that his final words expressed his latest and finest, a love letter to those who loved him.

Why don’t we all leave a love letter? And maybe we should write it well before we leave. Because, we never know for sure when that might be. Accidents happen.

If you were to attempt this right now, what would you write? Here’s what I would say. And, BTW, very few of us professional writers ever commit suicide. Why? Because we can never get the note just right and keep on editing forever!

To those I love (and that includes everyone!),

I’m writing this love letter to convey my deep gratitude for the gift of this life. It’s been wonderful! If you’re reading or hearing this read, you’ve been part of my adventure and I thank you for the supporting role you’ve played on my heroes journey.

All heroes are on a quest. Mine has been to experience transcendence, not in my head but in my physical contact with people and nature and on-the-ground activities. If you knew me well, you know that I was always a dreamer. And my imagination served me well. But, as I aged, I came down to earth. That didn’t require losing my wildness, it did require focusing on here and now, on the details of my life, which I had habitually overlooked in favor of lofty visions.

I’ve discovered that this is where the real mystery lives.

So, in the end, this is the gift I leave you all. Not my books, my projects, my ideas, and not even my jokes, but the story of my transformation from dreamer to pragmatist, bringing my dreams into form - not as the grandiose projects I imagined, but in how I engage fully with what is nearest to me. Presence.

Now, if death really is near, I welcome this final transition.

See you on the flip side!

OK. That was fun. And it will live here in cyberspace… just in case.

I fully expect to be around for awhile yet. There are dreams a plenty to yet live. But I enjoyed the exercise and encourage you to take 5 minutes to experiment. For one thing, it sure helps one appreciate being alive!