Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Another Sad Anniversary

Just a few days ago, it was the third anniversary of Angel's death by suicide. Time has not eased our pain, although it is not so sharp and immediate. But as time goes on, I miss her more and more. There are more times when the family is all together, but we're missing her. The world is missing her strength, her smile, her laugh, her talent, her love.

We are all poorer for her loss. Just now I found a painful but wonderful page written by the mom of a son who committed suicide at age 21. Bruce took his life, as most people who commit suicide do, because the pain of living has become too great. He didn't realize that he could have found relief for that pain by sharing his heart with those who loved him. Instead, that pain has been magnified for those left behind, empty-handed. Bruce's mother Roz shared a poem that has helped her through the years, and I hope they will help any survivors of the pain of the suicide of a loved one.
A time will come when my life will cease.

But when that time comes I ask that you remember these things


Bury my body but don't bury my beliefs.

Bury my heart but don't bury my love.

Bury my eyes but not my vision.

Bury my feet but not the path of my life.

Bury my hands but don't bury my diligent efforts.

Bury my shoulders but not the concerns I carried.

Bury my voice but not my message.

Bury my mind but don't bury my dreams.

Bury me but don't bury my life.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults and my weaknesses'

but let my life continue on in you.

-by Ronald Rohr
From Remembering Bruce: http://tampabaycoalition.homestead.com/RozBruce.html

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Summer! Not Official, but the Sun is Shining

And I'm back from Switzerland!

Today's best new thing is an old thing, TWENTY-FIVE YEARS-OLD, to be exact: Ferris Bueller's Day Off turns 25! How in the heck did that happen? In any case, the only thing that's dated is the hair and clothes, which add to the humor. What a great daydream!

Finally, someone perfectly sums up my thinking on ripped jeans: http://www.ashersarlin.com/archives/2004/11/ripped_jeans.php. Other funny stuff there, too.

Excellent talk (about one hour) about Getting over embarrassment in order to get things done: http://blog.protoshare.com/2011/04/getting-over-embarrassment-and-getting-done/.

Listen to some fun music from the Diablo Swing Orchestra: http://www.diabloswing.com/

Very cool little film about capturing a swarm of bees, by Klaas Freitag (dragotin): http://lizards.opensuse.org/2011/06/06/bee-keeping-catch-a-swarm/

Gorgeous aurora photos/films: http://vimeo.com/21294655.

Fun beer commercial: http://thedailywh.at/2011/06/07/kickass-commercial-of-the-day-2/.

Authors@Google: Tina Fey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Mkufm3ncc (almost an hour).

Basic travel info on Switzerland, from which I've just returned: http://wikitravel.org/en/Switzerland.

Cool youtube: Time Lapse Sky Shows Earth Rotating Instead of Stars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1O66XsbrOA&feature=player_embedded.

Check out the Vibram Five Fingers in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM3L02zR84M. I want some!

Cool song, Norwegian? maybe. Balstyrko - Jagten Paa Noget: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UiYiYQTlTE&feature=related.

One of the strangest covers of Seven Nation Army I've seen, by Veto & Lucy Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyrc4Jxy6Kw&feature=related.

Silly but fun. I remember playing this with the kids. The da Vinci Robot Plays "Operation" Board Game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP25mga2x8M.