Conversations with Calliope- Death of a Mentor

(Passionist Mission Crucifix)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Reflective.
CALLIOPE: About what?
JOE: I received news that an old mentor died yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Were you close to him?
JOE: His name is Thomas Berry. I haven't talked with him in many years since I left the monastery. I tried contacting him but he was in ill health although I did communicate with his sister.
CALLIOPE: How did he help you?
JOE: After being in the seminary and monastery for nine years I was ready to leave but had no idea how to go about it or what to do next.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Father Thomas helped me to decide what was important to me and to plan some initial steps after leaving.
CALLIOPE: So you left with some sense of direction?
JOE: I did and have always been grateful for his guidance. I have tried to help others as he helped me.
CALLIOPE: A fond memory.
JOE: Indeed, as well as an inspiration. Talk with you on Monday.

The good is oft interred with their bones

At a funeral yesterday, I thought of the words of Marc Antony from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, "The evil men do lives after them while the good is oft interred with their bones." Fortunately this does not seem to be so in the twenty-first century. Now it seems that people's good points are stressed and remembered by families and friends. Although we can still learn from the difficulties our loved ones have faced during their lives, it is easier to remember and emulate the characteristics which endeared them to us. When we are not sure how to act, we have fond memories to inspire us.

(Rocky Mountains- Estes Park, Colorado)

Following in the Footsteps of Those Who Went Before

Sometimes we act as if we need to learn everything by ourselves. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that we are not the first people who walked the earth. We tend to do things the hard way. Maybe it is from our sense of pride. But there are very few new problems in life. Technology might change, but people tend to act as they always did even if they have some new tools. We learn about history to see what others have made of mankind and read novels to get a better understanding of the human condition from a fantasy point of view. Most of us have ancestors, living relatives and friends who can teach us ways to understand our lives if we take the time to listen to them. We are never alone in life even at times when we feel out on a limb with no support. The psychiatrist Jung wrote about the collective unconscious. We can be in touch with the learning of others through our relationships, reading and yes even the internet.