I left off last Wednesday, preparing to drive in to Encinitas for the kick-off practice of "Igniting The Center", title of the 2012 Anusara Tour. My drive in was uneventful, I was able to help a bit before the practice began, and - if you've been following anyone/thing on Facebook - you may have seen the 30 or so photos taken on day one. I'm in there somewhere -- perspiring, heart-racing, attempting to do things I've never done before (or, perhaps I did do them, but am horribly out of practice now).
In short, it was a great event -- 94 poses in 3.5 hours; broken into 4 sections, each ending with a 5-minute meditation. No breaks, tho. The expectation (which was stated in a pre-event e-mail) was that we would arrive prepared to stay on the mat for the full practice time. Discipline. I believe it may be an underlying theme for the year.
The following morning (Thursday), Howard and I were up early, cleaning & packing, preparing to fly to Spokane for my Dad's Memorial Service on Friday. All went smoothly, especially considering we were flying into the Pacific Northwest's biggest snowstorm of the year (and, largest for a number of years, I think). Runway was white, autos moving slowly thru deep snow, stressful beginning. Derek and his family (Jess, Jack, Brady & Carson) also flew up, but on a different airline -- their flight was also almost uneventful and the boys made it with flying colors.
What do you tell a 5- and 3-year-old about a memorial service? How do you describe what is happening and why? We (Howard and I) had never had to face it, so we asked Derek & Jessica. They had explained death (which the boys already had an idea about) and went on to tell the boys this would be a celebration of their great-grandfather's life. In their minds, they quickly turned the event into a 'performance'. From that moment on, the circumstances of this visit to Spokane were termed "great-grandpa's performance". And, a performance it was.
Friday morning, still snow on the ground, we all piled into one big SUV and made the drive out to the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery west of Spokane. That part of the state is a bit flatter, so the landscape looked cold and grey, flat and - as we approached - the American flag was seen waving over the barren, white ground. The service was short. We all gathered in a small service area (concrete and glass), with full view of the landscape, flag, and headstones. A chaplain offered prayer, condolences, and praise. We watched the flag ceremony conducted by 6 very cold USAF Airmen, heard Taps being played by a bugler standing outside, and - tho warned - were all startled as the 21-gun volley began. Impressive.
From there, we gathered as a family for lunch, then headed to the Presbyterian Church for a public service. Another moment to remember, as a brass quintet played two of Dad's favorite marches. My cousin, Dave, and I offered a few words, the minister asked if anyone would like to share - few did; however, one man did stand -- he was unknown to us -- and relayed stories of having known Dad 46 years ago, as Dad piloted KC-135's. Wow! That was impressive, to come to a ceremony where you are unknown to the family, to honor your fellow Air Force officer.
Service over, we headed to Dave's house. The boys were able to play in the snow, ride on a tractor with Dave as he fed the deer out back of his house. We stayed inside where it was warm and visited.
All in all, a great 'performance', Dad. We honored and we remembered, and I don't think anyone will forget that day for quite a while.
The next day (yesterday), it was up and off to the airport. This time, we all struggled with snowstorms and high winds to make it back to San Diego. Home safe and sound, all is well here. Life will go back to normal.
I hope you have a great Sunday!
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