I think that is a beautiful act of friendship
to render Doug's ashes to the waters. You
are a kind, gentle and loyal friend to the
Hendrickson's. I've always wondered if Doug
and Bonnie would have moved there without you
and Pam and it is that sort of comraderie that
made the transition from Drake so successful.
Maybe I'm wrong, but without that collaboration
it always seemed the move would have been too
isolating for Doug and Bonnie alone.
When my mother passed away in '91 I went on a
retreat in Rhode Island and then ventured on
with her ashes to Merconi Beach on Cape Cod. I
ran with her ashes into the green pounding surf
and tossed them into the receding foam and then
returned to the beach, cried hard for a long time
and you know, the other night on the walk with
Teresa was the first time I've cried like
that since then. It is otherwise something that
can't be expressed- that great emptiness....
On one of the several trips I made south with
Doug to Peola we talked about that huge change
in community and networking. With coffee dripping
from his mustache and driving the new Ford van
in the morning sun, I can still see him nodding
affirmatively about the plans you all had- what
it meant to him to see you and Pam joining him
and Bonnie. He loved you and looked to you,
respected you so much, Lee. Your presence and vision
made that next chapter the success that it has
been. It was a huge deal for all of you to uproot
yourselves from the comfort of the Drake community and
to some extent reinvent yourselves. Jason was still
young and the site was not completed but that was the
excitement, challenge and adventure of it all.
When Doug and I installed the footings for the house,
we scratched in the concrete, "We will remain and pass".
We'd been talking about the D.T. Suzuki books and
trying think to explore the zen process of creation,
energy and what it meant to do "one thing" purely with
all the implications for the future and there it is
and still remains, still supporting life though an
element has passed on... it continues for the sake
of what exists and is beautiful in so many ways.
Losing Doug must be an enormous blow to all of you
and you all are constantly on my mind. My best wishes
to you,Pam, Jason and his wife on this mother's day.
My sincerest desire is that you all will find an
easing of the pain and away to move forward with
remembrance and renewal.
-in sympathy and friendship,
