In October of 2012, my daughter, Adriana presented me with a new granddaughter. So I’ve now had a full year to watch Isabella grow, learn, change. I was at her first birthday party which was also her baptism. Fortunately, I had a video camera when Isabella decided to take her first independent steps. She left Adriana’s hands and toddled about eight feet before landing on her rump. So much joy.
This has also been a year for Hugo, my grandson, to take off to pursue his studies at Univ. of California at Los Angeles--and carry straight A's for his first semester.
Frankie, my other daughter, has had a great stretch of new adventures. She has often been employed in offices where she was valued because she saw the detail needed and was able to organize it. Now she is exploiting this talent for organizing and for following through bureaucratic processes, helping other people take charge of their lives. Her abilities are very appreciated by her clients.
Planning for my regular spring trip to Mazatlan and Guadalajara was disrupted when I was asked to go to the national leadership conference of AAPC (American Assoc. of Pastoral Counselors) in Leesburg, VA to help plan the future of the organization. AAPC is the primary organization of psychotherapists who focus on integrating spirituality. Though originally organized with Protestant clergy/therapist-counselors, AAPC now includes Muslims, Buddhists, Roman Catholics, Wiccans and others. The changes in health care delivery that will come from the Affordable Care Act and integrated health care delivery demand that AAPC plan how it will function within that system.
Actually AAPC has absorbed a great deal of my energy this year. I have been developing Webinars, planning continuing education and communication for the Pacific Region (Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, California. The first Webinar was on Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Hypnosis and Spirituality.
When I discovered that I wouldn’t go to Mexico, I planned several weekend road trips. To facilitate that, I replaced my car with a Subaru Legacy in which I could put the back seats down level and climb in the back to sleep. I actually got one trip to Eldorado National Forest and then to visit my close friends in Carson City, NV.
On my return, my doctor informed me that I had three broken bones in my foot. (Who knew? No pain!) He insisted that I get a cast and start using a wheel chair. But after some pushing and shoving, he settled for my using a walker. So much for my great road trip plans. . . The cast finally came off on October 7, just in time to volunteer with the Mill Valley Film Festival.
During all this "foot repair," more AAPC work was to help organize the AAPC regional conference. This was very exciting as one of our members is a chaplain at the local Department of Veterans Affairs hospital and they were planning a big national conference at about the same time. We scheduled our two conferences back to back so that we could collaborte to all go to both; start out in Palo Alto on the 15th of October and move right through to the AAPC conference in Berkeley for the 17th-19th. That was the plan.
The government shut-down was declared just that week. The VA folk had to cancel their plans. A few of them came on their own time to the AAPC part, but they were shut out of their own. The conference was somewhat sparse in attendees, but absolutely top notch in content.
In addition to the Mill Valley Film Festival, I enjoy ushering at various programs at the Jewish Community Center. Among my favorites though is the Mill Valley Philharmonic Orchestra.This is a group of non-professionals, but of high skill. They play four concerts a year and I always attend. Community orchestras are exciting. To keep musical skills polished enough to do Sibelius or Brahms is no small matter. The last concert, in November, was played right to my soul. They played Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, "From the New World." This is the first symphony I played in my high school orchestra. Well, we did the fourth movement only, but I fell in love with the symphony and especially my own tympani part. Later we got to play the whole piece. I have always loved it.
Adriana, Hugo, and Isabella left for Brazil to be with Adriana’s birth mother and boy friend. They were planning to have a cabin on the beach in Natal. They seem to be in the one place in the world with no Internet, but I’m sure they are having a wonderful time.
So, an exciting year. So much to see, do and experience. Sometimes I have to remind myself to also just be. My meditation helps keep me grounded, as does teaching two spiritual study groups.
Christmas has come to mean, for me, something much more than snowflakes, Christmas trees with neurotically blinking lights, Santa; even more than shepherds and magi. Christmas is a celebration of the positive direction of history, of changes in the world. It is so easy to become disheartened as we read news reports of Republican repeated efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act which will bring health care to millions who have not had it—or reports of the website not working properly. Stories of drones from our own government killing innocents in Pakistan, or Yemen tear at our hearts, as does the plight, this winter of many on unemployment and foodstamps which the House majority--I refrain from using the "R" word again--has chosen to visit upon them.
But, if we look beyond the immediate and painful—look beyond but do not ignore—we will see that the course of history is on the side of progress. Yes, there is still slavery in the world, but no one defends it and nations join in efforts to wipe it out. Yes, there is racial prejudice—nowhere more than in our own country—but it is being eradicated. Yes, women are still not given their just place in society, but that fact is both recognized and being countered—of course not as fast as I would prefer. Yes, gay, lesbian, and others face discrimination, but that too is changing.
Admittedly, progress is far too slow. Injustice, prejudice and pain should be overcome today, if not yesterday, and tomorrow at the latest. Progress demands the spiritual, physical and emotional martyrdom of far too many. Yet progress, justice and even love are with us. And while it is not yet complete—and will likely never be--we are reminded by Christmas that joy, life and truth triumph over ignorance, hatred and death.
All this came to my mind the other day as I listened to a Pete Seeger rendition of the 1860s hymn, How Can I Keep From Singing. I share it with you as my Christmas gift to you.
My life goes on in endless song
Above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness 'round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?
When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging,
When friends by shame are undefiled
How can I keep from singing?
I cannot keep from singing!
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