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Lynn Charnitz's avatar

Profound words for me today. Yesterday I attended a Dios de los Muertos celebration at Villa Terrace. A woman dressed as a catrina did a brief talk on the history of the day and of catrinas. She talked about the ancestors celebrating death as part of the life cycle, not something to be feared, but welcomed as summer turns to fall and winter turns to spring. Just a natural step in letting go. (And the catrinas represent all being equal in death, despite our social position, wealth, or education. Very much a sense of equality in the afterlife.).

I have very much to let go of. Both in the material sense of needing to purge my possessions of memories and detritus (as one of your commenters so aptly noted). Letting go of the physical representations of my life.

And of the spiritual/emotional as today my brother’s palliative care nurse told him the time has come to make a decision about hospice care. He is not eating or drinking, apparently signs of late stage Parkinson’s. So another letting go.

Thank you so much for your words today, Mary. They are what I needed to hear and will give me pause for reflection as I approach my letting gos.

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Mary Krawczyk's avatar

Lynn ~ thank YOU for reading my words! And thanks for sharing about the Dia de los Muertos celebration that you attended. That's fascinating! And it's a beautiful way to think about death.

I'm so sorry about your brother and the difficult decisions ahead. I'm sending you love and hugs, my friend. xo

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Sandy Couch's avatar

Ha! We are in sync. Currently in a frenzy of decluttering, reorganizing and letting go. I was thinking that I felt that I was "nesting." People talk often of nesting in preparation for a baby. In reality, I am reverse nesting. I am sifting through 27 years of memories and detirtus. For me, it has been a long awaited shedding. Something I meant to do 5 years ago. It has been so freeing to finally begin clear and reduce all the excess.

Also, I have been doing a lot of driving to Greendale and Muskego. I love that my frequent drives are no longer freeway drives. I have so been enjoying the full display of colors the fall has to offer. This weekend has been picture perfect for all the colors. AH...

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Mary Krawczyk's avatar

Synchronicity! Sandy - I love the idea of "reverse nesting." Maybe you coined a new term? There's lots of shedding, and also some emotions involved. I'm glad it's felt freeing to you! And that you're enjoying the fall colors too.

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Lori Fetzer's avatar

Gorgeous words. Gorgeous sentiments. Gorgeous photographs. The full moon and the lunar eclipse last night (only visible in the eastern hemisphere, I believe) also ask us to let go of fears and insecurities; to surrender to the flow of the universe.

Love this, Mary!

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Mary Krawczyk's avatar

Thanks, Lori! I'm glad to know about the full moon and lunar eclipse too. I love the idea "to surrender to the flow of the universe." A mantra, perhaps.

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