George Harrison’s 68th birthday- a few words.

Ordinarily I’d write before now on one of George’s birthdays, but the other blog seems to have taken my time up.

I’d like to say thanks to George for the inspiration, for the music, for the spiritual wisdom…for transforming my life, really. It’s only because of George, and because of Chris, that I found God. (Now I’m not sure whether He exists, but that’s a Navigating Cyberloss post.)

George, I hope you have a great birthday, and I hope the party there is more amazing than any of us could imagine.

Another blog? Surely not!

Hello, friends.

If I have any readers left, I am writing to inform you that I have started another blogging venture, that I boldly call ‘Navigating Cyberloss‘. This blog basically does what it says on the tin, and intends to provide a resource for those who are dealing, or in some cases, have dealt, with the grief involved in losing somebody who they’d only met online.

I hope you will join me there, and possibly offer some feedback, as it would be much appreciated.

Eastern faith + Western grief = a convoluted path

The theme of this post may seem maudlin to first time readers, but I assure you, the next posts will become lighter.

Since April 2007, I have been grieving the ‘loss’ of a friend whose presence in my life brought me to a spiritual path. Chris was a dear friend of mine, we came to know one another through the official George Harrison forum. Her being in Argentina and my being in the UK precluded any physical meeting, but I’d like to think we met on a soul level, where it matters.

Anyway, the title of this post alludes to the fact that I have been trying to reconcile my Eastern religious leanings with a very Western grieving process, complicated by a number of factors – the physical distance and being unable to attend a funeral being two of these.

I think fondly of the passage in the Bhagavad Gita which states:

There never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor any of these kings, nor will there be any future where we cease to be. - chapter two, verse eighteen.

 

Krishna’s words to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra have brought me a little comfort in this time of suffering, but trying to reconcile the Eastern knowing (Chris was, or seemed to be Hindu) with the Western grieving has been challenging.

So, if you have any opinions on how a person of faith can reconcile faith and grief, feel free to chime in.

• Should faith preclude grief?
  

A change of name, a change of purpose.

If any of my regular ‘readers’ are still out there, you might have noticed the change of name on this place. It ties in with a change of purpose I’ve been toying with for some time. This place, rather than just being a ‘dumping ground’ for all my ramblings, will soon become a place of discussion, I hope, where I will post a brief piece on a topic (no predetermined time frame here, I’m afraid)  for people to then comment on and discuss. Hopefully that will encourage a few more visitors to this blog, and when people visit, they will hopefully chip in. The first post in this series is going to be titled Eastern faith + Western grief= a convoluted path. I would appreciate viewpoints from people when it is up.

 

Best wishes and blessings to all,

- Shady

Pink for breast cancer awareness- join me?

 

Breast Cancer Awareness month again. I know it’s important that we raise awareness (and chuck money at it), because that is the only way they’ll get close to a cure, but every blessed thing is pink. Everything reminds me, when I’ve just reached the ‘head out of the sand’ point, three and a half years after it happened.

Still, if you’re of a mood, blog it, then donate. The blogging it doesn’t matter, the donation does, and can make a slight difference.

Birthday reminiscences

Sitting here today, thinking back and looking forward.

Forty-three years ago today, dear Chris entered this world. Three years after her untimely leaving, I can look back with a slight smile. I think if I ever got to a point where I could speak of her without half a glance skyward, I would have reached a point where her absence didn’t bother me at all. Don’t think that would be one hundred percent what I wanted to do.

Memories come to me now, but they’re ones I’ve posted on before, so I won’t repeat myself.

I’ll spend today trying to get a song I wrote on Wednesday together, as a tribute. I can’t help but think she’d like that.

May God’s blessing be on her eternally,

A memory of the way a friendship began..

A few words before I really answer the question- I’m sure I’ve blogged about this memory before, but it’s one of my favourites, and always one which makes me chuckle rather than gulp or grimace at other things.

Banoffee

I’m reminded of Chris, because my first words to her, through the official George Harrison forum, were defining the constituent parts of banoffee pie (“Banana and toffee, I think.”) It remains the strangest first sentence I’ve ever said to somebody.

Reminiscing

Been thinking again. I know it’s potentially dangerous for me to continue thinking about her, particularly as I’ve made so much progress over the last year or so. Realising that above anything she’s alright now was huge. I don’t need to be dragged down by that feeling of wondering- heck, it doesn’t really even matter if the moment itself was peaceful. Anyway, the point of this post. Just got to thinking that I need to forgive myself, and forgive her. I must forgive myself for being unable to accept it during that time, and forgive her for leaving. I thought I had, but I’m not entirely sure now. I still have moments with ‘Where the heck did that come from?’ at the forefront of my mind. They’re less frequent, but there. But, for now, I have to say that I forgive myself, and forgive her. It was because I love her that I could not accept the physical finality of what seemed to me at the time to be the very end. Of course, there is truth in The Bible and the Bhagavad Gita which supports the opposite view, that death is the beginning of another great journey, or the eternal happiness. I’ve always been fond of the Bhagavad Gita passage which states:

There never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor any of these kings. Nor will there be any future where we cease to be (Bhagavad Gita chapter two, verse eighteen)
Recent meetings have led to the flame of faith being fanned, and I have once again begun to look to God. He is always there.

A few words on George Harrison’s birthday…

It’s been some time since I last blogged. However, I’d like to restart the trend with a tribute post to George Harrison on the occasion of his 67th birthday.

George...in a cheeky mood!

Through his music, George helped me realise the power of music in general. Until I heard “My Sweet Lord” for the first time, I didn’t realise how powerful Western pop music was in devotional terms. (Mind you, I was ignorant of Eastern music at all at the time!) Anyway, through that song, I found a profound statement of faith.

Of course, it was two years later that I came to need that faith, because through my liking for George’s music, I came to know one of my dearest friends. George’s music helped her through a drawn out battle with cancer, which ironically came to a close on Easter Sunday, 2007.

George’s music was my primary connection with her, and she was (is) my primary connection with God. For that reason, I am more grateful than words may ever convey to Sriman George Harrison.

Namaste, dear spirit soul.

FAWM 2010- February Album Writing Month

I think I could well be becoming addicted to these “do-x in a month” things. The latest challenge wants 14 songs this month.

I’ve already written number one- “Hotter than Hot (The Newspaper Song)”

Hear it here