Dear Friends,
The short month of February has flown by and you have not heard from me. My apologies. I have missed our connection and gratefully return to you on this new day, March 1, 2025. This day is important in my world, it’s my father’s birthday. James Theodore Mitchell, known as Ted, died at 36 years old, I was 11. Grief was woven unto my childhood, though I did not have the words to understand my emotions. In my early teens, my mother shared that Dylan Thomas’s poem, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” was one of Dad’s favorites. I grew up carrying his resistance toward dying at such a young age. I held on to pictures, his drafting supplies, an old pajama top as sacred reminders of his brief presence in my life.
In my 50s, starting a new position as a hospital chaplain, I was sitting in my new office on March 1 of that year. I had this memory in the back of my head, but couldn’t place it…March 1, what happened on that day? What is the significance of that day? “I know it’s important.” I kept asking, the mists parted… ahhh my father’s birthday. A flood of feelings followed, bittersweet love filled my heart. Yes, he’s gone, gone so long. At the same time, this reminder was Gift. I felt his presence and love.
Today, I can claim that I was loved by a good man. A good man who helped me learn to walk, who answered my many questions with regard and kindness, who smiled while watching me play the piano. Today, I transfer the grace of those years into my life today. I have lived twice his age – perhaps fulfilling his desire for a long life. Today, March 1, I sit in prayer and know that my Dad is with me, that the woman I’m becoming carries his smile and dignity.
I close with this message from Rumi and with gratitude that I can share my stories and trust they will support you and your stories. Together, we heal.
In peace, Lisa
In every moment, in every event of your life
Wisdom is whispering to you exactly what you need to hear and know.
Who can ever explain this miracle?
It simply is.
Listen and you will discover it every passing moment.
Listen and your whole life will become a conversation in thought and act between you and Wisdom,
directly, wordlessly,
now,
and always.