[Oe List ...] Join Us!

Sat Aug 22 10:41:11 CDT 2009

 Dear Fred and Nancy,

Thank you so very much for your witness to the being of soul-fullness. Your deeply human and generous email manifests the wonderfulness of the opportunity to join you on the walk with Fred's Folks.  

May my 'dusting off of my shoes' be of encouragement to you both as each of you continues to be for each of us.  I could not abide waiting for my support to be delivered by the postal services, so you will find my contribution already online.

It is a deep privilege to be invited to be on your profound journey with you and all our friends. As with all challenges, with ALS also, we shall overcome.

Yes, I do join you, and share this gatha that is a familiar one in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh;  it reads, 

"No coming, no going, no after, no before.
 I hold you close to me,
 I release you to be so free;

                                                           for I am in you, and you are in me."

May we all keep on keeping on,
Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Lanphear <nancy at songaia.com>
To: OE at wedgeblade.net
Sent: Fri, Aug 21, 2009 11:58 pm
Subject: [Oe List ...] Join Us!

Dear Folks,                  0                                           8/21/2009                                                                           

Once again please "Dust off your walking shoes and walk with us!"

Here is an update on Fred’s health and well-being along with an invitation to join us as sponsors of Fred’s Folks in the ALS Walk. 
As you recall, he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) 1 1/2
years ago and the disease process has steadily progressed, the path
seems to be unique to each person.  

Fred continues to be his own steady, creative self.  Although he has lost the use of his legs and has limited use of his hands, he is busy writing his books, (one thumb typing along with the use of dictation software) a personal and a community
auto biography – in the latter, he is writing the narrative with
community members sharing stories of their own experience of living in
community.  His breathing has become more compromised and he spends a part of most days with his bipap machine on, always using it for sleeping, and any time he lies down.  

One of his favorite times is visiting with folks who come by (or write) to share their stories and listen to his.  He also participates in two study groups that meet regularly in our home. Fred continues to be very much a part of community life in spite of the fact that his days are spent in a wheel chair.  The gardeners of the community come to share ideas and to hear his wisdom or advice on plants.  He attends meetings, dinner/breakfast in the common house dining room 5 times each week. With our wheelchair accessible van we are able to stay active in the Kirkland UCC Church and NW Intentional Communities Assoc. Singing continues to be a vital part of his life and is his measure of his breathing capacity and a strong part of his spiritual path and practice.

Early on in our life with ALS, I mentioned being a caretaker, which put Fred in the role of being the receiver. 
A wise colleague and friend suggested that in her experience with her
husband as he was dying, they continued to be in a partnership until 3
hours before he died, only then did she become the caretaker.  
I loved this wisdom and continue to see our relationship as just that –
a true partnership – each one giving the other what they have to offer
at each moment.  Life is amazing and full!

We
are blessed to have been given time to realize and prioritize the
important things in our lives, to bring relationships to the top of the
list, to experience the sa
cred in the mundane, and to connect with
those we love through visits, letters, emails and prayers.  In our celebration of 50 years of marriage on July 4th,
we articulated our gratitude for our life together and for the inter-
relationships with family and friends that have been such a huge part
of our lives. 

Please join us in supporting the ALS Walk. You can contribute by following the instructions on this website or send a check, made out to ALS Walk, to me at 4106 224th St. SE #1, Bothell, WA 98021.

This event is happening
on Saturday September 26th.  We would love it if you could join us in
person at Seward Park and walk with our great team, "Fred's Folks."

You are loved,

Nancy 

Click here to visit my personal page.

If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:

http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/EvergreenWalk?px=1944707&pg=personal&fr_id=5987&et=iCEpNFTU5kFGOY0wijqB_Q..&s_tafId=71800

Click here to view the team page for Fred's Folks

If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:

http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/EvergreenWalk?team_id=135200&pg=team&fr_id=5987&et=Ss9igfslg-ViJYsLpRGtsQ..&s_tafId=71800

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please
click here
or paste this URL into your browser: http://web.alsa.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=fcd42caa9937ba0759661cf86883777452869c15ef04f318

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