I attended a loving memorial celebration last night....and you were with me

I went to a very touching memorial celebration for a friend yesterday~ he was a special, caring, generous soul, who also happened to be Native American. As my main circle of friends here in California is also Native, I contine to learn and be emotionally moved by the simple, yet poignant ways of these people, and their connection with the land and ocean and one another.

The celebration was held after sundown at the ocean. The Tribe ( Chumash, of coastal California) has a special bond with the water..so much so that they have ancient stories of their connection with dolphins. My Reggie is part of group of traditional canoe paddlers, and they make an ocean voyage each September. Our friend who sadly passed (heart attack while hiking in Yosemite) while not a paddler, was the father of 2 up and coming paddlers. He was an integral part of the community, and so loved by so many. There were probably 100 at this ceremony.

With sage burning all the time, as a cleansing and calming influence, we were called to silence by one of our friends as he blew into a conch shell, making it wail plaintively. Six of the 11 foot handmade redwood paddles, which the paddlers use to make the ocean voyage were held upright, making an archway for us to pass through on our way to the beach. There, abalone shells filled with sage were also burning, and there were songs sung in native language, as well as dancers, and most special, a Bear ceremony. Bears are very important to the Tribe, and elders who are so blessed wear actual Bear skins, including the heads and paws, and dance around the fire taking all negativity with them...after about 20 minutes of vigorous dance and accepting the sadness/ cares/fears/illnesses/ of the people, they shed their bearskin and dove into the ocean carrying those negative emotions with them. They leave the feelings in the water to be carried away with the waves. After that, all who wish, take a pinch of tobacco, which also hold the dreams, wishes and prayers of the people and we go to the waters edge and open our hands to have the winds take the tobacco over the ocean and into the heavens. It is all quite spiritual and moving, as you might imagine. Reggie is in a group of singers, and had the privledge of singing during the Bear Ceremony, and afterwards, as well.

I must say, when I was watching the bears dance, and especially when I took the tobacco to the waters edge, not only was I there for my friend and his family, but I was there for all of my Kindred Spirits here at CSN. Because illness, fear and treament plans are pretty much what brought us in here in the first place, there is no way I could leave any of us out of the evenings experience. I didn't have time to mention each and every one of us by name; but please know that as a group, a family, a collection of Kindred Spirits, you were all there with me as I sent my feelings over the water and into the sky....

Sorry to ramble, I just thought you might want to know you all were part of something special and meaningful to me last night. And I love you all.

Hugs,
Claudia