[Dialogue] question to ponder

[Nancy Lanphear]

Dear Ones,

I love it when we get started on a rather simple question and it just  gets
better!

I remember being in Litibu, Mexico with our colleagues who live there.
George West suggested that we sing as we gathered for the traditional
sun-downer.  There were some song books available but I remember watching
you, Judy Gilles, and you seemed to be in another world singing from your
heart.  You had no words on a page, just the words in your memory and the
days of singing these songs together.

Take care and remember that you are loved,

Nancy

On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 1:49 PM, Duncan Holmes <dholmes99 at sympatico.ca>wrote:

>  I did not think I had an answer to this question initially. Then I went to
> Stan Gibson's 65th birthday party and several of us burst into song.
>
> I don't know where it came from. i do know that it was and is a part of our
> imaginal education of each other. We used songs to send ourselves messages
> and remind us who we have decided to be. I can remember being in Montreal
> and was assigned to work out. Each morning I had a 3 minute walk though a
> building that played musak. Ninety percent of the songs were ones we had
> written words to. So i was reminded each morning who I was. At the end of
> the day on the tired return home I walked through the same building and was
> remnded again, who I had decided to be and the story I had decided to live
> out of. The songs still flow through my head and still remind me who I am
> and have decided to be.
>
> Who knows whether that was where it came from but it was certainly one of
> the things it did for me.
>
> Duncan
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:48:05 -0700
> From: nancy at songaia.com
> To: dialogue at wedgeblade.net
> Subject: [Dialogue] question to ponder
>
> Dear Ones,
>
> WHERE DID OUR SINGING AS AN ORDER COME FROM ?  WAS IT THE CHURCH?  WAS IT
> FROM MOVEMENT BUILDING ACTIVITIES?  One of our Songaians asked that question
> of us - he had given a tour today and was asked?  Please respond with
> answers or just your own stories.  I would love to hear from you about a
> spiritual practice that has opened so many hearts and places of energy, and
> at times literally kept us alive.
>
> This has been a big week here at Songaia!  The national Cohousing
> conference is being held in Seattle this year and the executive director
> lives here.  He has enlisted most of us to contribute in one or many ways
> during the week.
>
> On Monday night we hosted the International Summit group from the
> conference which translated into 38 folks from the group at dinner in our
> common house along with the 30 of us Songaians.  Of course we were our
> authentic selves and had singing, introductions, a birthday celebration with
> questions, and a fantastic meal -  a joyful time was had by all.
>
> I led the singing and included Consider Yourself, This Little Light of
> Mine, and Oh, Mr. Sun and Russian Hymn for the Earth - the first was a song
> of welcome and the others, in acknowledgement of Summer Solstice and the
> wonder of gathering as Earthlings.  We ate in honor of communitarians and
> those who had not yet found themselves enveloped in a welcoming community.
>
> Following the meal we celebrated one member's birthday.  His name is
> Nartano and as he has been so moved by the ritual around each members
> birthday, he wanted to share the ritual with our guests.  Fred asked the
> questions of him and then shared words that recognized Nartano's role in the
> community.
>
> We closed the evening by singing the Irish Blessing to our guests.  They
> left with tears and smiles of joy and hope that if we could share the values
> of our community lifestyle with the world, it would be a more peaceful place
> to live.
>
> Yesterday, Fred was awarded the Geoph Kozeny Award for a life of
> communitarian activities.  Our friend Geoph died a year ago with cancer.
> Fred was so honored to be the first recipient of the award.
>
> Today, we hosted 40 people who were on a cohousing community bus tour.
> They came for lunch and a tour of Songaia.  Again, we sang before lunch,
> they joined in with great gusto!
>
> Fred continues to be his spirited, wonderfilled self.  The huge limitations
> of movement and dextarity frustrate him but he keeps finding new ways to
> type - he now uses his thumbs and a voice activated computer program.
> SINGING here at Songaia and at church is a lifeline for him.  Somehow with
> his breathing capacity greatly diminished, he still sings with joy and twice
> as many breaths.  At his ALS diagnosis 1 1/2 years ago, he promised me we
> would still be together to celebrate the journey of the 2 of us and the life
> of our family. We are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on July 4th
> with family and our community.
>
> We are so very grateful to be living in our community of Songaia.  And we
> are grateful for you,  our spirit community of many years.  Take care and
> remember that you are all loved,
>
> Nancy
>
>
>
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