LANDING A KALEIDOSCOPE and RELAX INTO THE DARKNESS

Our friend Barbara has chosen to die consciously. Barbara, known to her oldest friends as Herbie, to some as Barbara Choo, Barbara Hall and to many as Lady Barbara or Lady B. She's worked at many things in her life. She's a skilled photographer, mistress herbalist and teacher, belly dancer and teacher, mother, Gramma Bee and much more. Here is her message to her cloud of friends.

LANDING A KALEIDOSCOPE

I believe I can begin to hear the River

As I walk slowly along this path I've never walked before.

As I feel my Life Force grow more weary

My Body grow heavier, slower, and somewhat swollen.

But my Spirit is beginning to stretch and reach

Sensing the freedom from this human body.

(the body package being a mere rental after all)

It's been a good run.

Not an easy one, to be sure,

But a rich tale, filled with challenges and triumphs

Failures and plateaus,

And an enormous cast of characters

That I shall miss

But never be far away from.

I beg that no one write or utter the words:

“She LOST her battle with cancer”.

I will not accept that FailureLabel as my epitaph.

My life mattered a lot more than this last chapter.

(although it was QUITE the page-turner, wasn't it?)

Why it is to stop so soon, who knows, who knows.

I still got to swim out 10 years farther than my father did.

I've been as much of a mother to my amazing daughter as I could,

A GrammaBee character to three munchkins that I do hope they won't forget.

Now I get to put into practice all of the things I taught so many of you:

How to LISTEN to my body and what it has to say about

What we shall or shall not eat,

How much more we need to sleep,

It IS a bit like going into labor if you let it unfold as it will.

Nobody can look at the bottom of your foot for a date,

No sense in pulling out that slide-rule,

But when this....and that......and this..... happen on their own, we'll know.

Most important healing question ever: “What Is My Body Trying To DO?”

In response to symptoms/changes.

Nothing to be squelched, all to be honored at this point.

I really need to believe that if I can honor myself right now,

Perhaps as I never have before, or as I ALWAYS have before,

That I can bring this kaleidoscope in for a SMOOTH landing.

Land on the River and travel along to the next great adventure

(as a seagull?)

Dying consciously is an amazing trip.

Will my trip go on for weeks? Perhaps months?

With SO many various characters along my path,

How could I EVER write all the stories so you all get to know them?

YOU do it.

Talk about me when I'm gone.

Teach each other what I taught you.

Plant the seeds and gather more and share those on....

….and on and on and on....

Eat your weeds and love your puddin',

Dig the $5 hole for the 50cent plant,

Get 'therapeutapuss' into the dictionary,

and for George and Gracie's sake, name that Prunella after me, willya?

And say hi to a Teasel.

MAKE SOUP. Celebrationary Soup.

Yes, I believe I can begin to hear the River....

Won't be so very much longer,

But I have a bit to do yet,

until Everything says

'it's ok, let the rest GO.'

LadyB August 9, 2013

Lady Barbara's Garden

The following is my husband Bob's and my message for her tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=fnIsyKA21o0&ns=1

or go to YouTube and type in "Relax Into the Darkness"