Death sandwich

A sandwich is a thing framed by another thing, with the thing in the middle being the part that matters when it’s being named:  it’s a ham sandwich, not a rye sandwich.  This is why I find the phrase “compliment sandwich” utterly nonsensical; it should be called a criticism sandwich, a putdown hero, an insult

Standing between death and the dead

This time of year is when I most strongly feel the ancestors around me.  Memorial Day was yesterday, and tomorrow is the anniversary of my father’s birth.  Six years ago my cat went missing on June 9, and I wonder if he yet lives, or I may honor him among the dead.  This past weekend

Cultivating sources

When I asked to interview Paul Beyerl for this week, it was because I strongly believe in preserving the wisdom of our elders.  Now in his seventies, Beyerl was easy to talk to in part because he’s not put off by the idea that he’s an elder.  What I wasn’t expecting from the conversation was

Not knowing is the worst

Today marks a week since I’ve seen my cat . . . and five years since my father finished dying.  There are a lot of unknowns associated with loss and death, and they really speak to the human condition. Myrlyn was meant to be wild and free, that much I know.  His mishaps and maladies

Letting a pet die

Pagans like to think that we have a healthy view about death, but it’s still a painful thing to say goodbye to loved ones.  I’ve been confronted with the passing over of animal friends recently, and I think it’s even more difficult when you’re dealing with a pet, companion, or familiar.  Most of us don’t