Sandra

Sandra is my greatest blessing in a lifetime of blessings. In my entire life, I have never heard her speak a foul word and she always chooses to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. 

She is kind, generous, empathetic, and compassionate. She will listen to you, comfort you, and feed you. She never complains and has the patience of a saint, which she is, she never misses an opportunity to do a good deed.

46 years into our marriage and I am still overjoyed that she said "yes" on the third try. Besides her beauty, it was her morals and values that first attracted me. She lives integrity. She is my closest advisor, my personal counselor, and at times, my chief confessor.

She models love. I hope you are blessed to meet her.

United in love

The dusk gave way to the stars. The starlight shone its love on the shadowy earth. Silence wrapped me warmly in peace. The blessed night erased all boundaries and I knew: she was still here.

In the days, weeks, and months of great sorrow, we may feel more sensitive to the subtle mysteries of life. We feel a unifying pulse from our heart to the hearts of others throughout the universe.

I remember in the still gasping moments of my greatest sorrow, I still felt a connection. Starring up and out at the dark night, each star flickering, a song or poem, a message. "I love you Daddy, I am always with you."

A tender moment of creation and re-creation. A gift of expanded consciousness. I reached out into the universe and found you. A message, a moment, a molecule of pure unconditional loving energy. You always were, and always will be.

Our conversation continues each day with our morning yoga, our meal time prayer, and our evening prayers. And every time we hear a song that lets me feel your love. We are united in life. We are united in love.

Community

Nothing is easy in building true community. A community is a fellowship of people who share their sorrows and their joy. We are authentic and vulnerable as a beacon of hope. In our community, we know life is full of gain and loss, joy and sorrow, ups and downs, and we know we are not alone. We share our lives together and celebrate truth and health and healing in our fellowship of mutual caring.

Our community is like a beautiful, majestic puzzle. Each little piece is not very impressive. One piece is jagged, another has a sharp edge, one is smooth, another fits easily, and some we work hard to find where they fit. Some stand out and others appear quite ordinary. Some look valuable, others plain. The magic occurs when all the pieces are brought together in a complete whole. We create community. If even one piece is missing, the community is incomplete. Each little piece is indispensable and makes it's unique contribution.

Our community is a fellowship of unique people who together create unconditional love.