Friday, June 27, 2025: We are throwing rose petals on Alice’s way to her next journey.

Dear Sisters and Brothers:  Many people had the good fortune to visit Alice yesterday afternoon and evening, to hold her hand, kiss her forhead, whisper a blessing, tell a story as a means of accompanying her in her final days. As Steve Lyman would say “We’re walking Alice home.” 

Last night JoAnn and Jim came and spent a couple of hours with her, singing and touching her hand. At one point Alice even raiser her hand which JoAnn took between hers. JoAnn knelt beside the bed offering her own personal prayers into Alice’s ear. Jim sat close and we talked of how blessed we are to have Alice in our lives.

As I left nurse Michael came to the door and we talked for a while. He said it’s his job to spread rose petals on Alice’s way to her next adventure, not to hurry her, but to simply walk with her and witness a great life.

Many people visited yesterday – members of her running group of 40 years who call themselves the Werewolves, several people from other facets of her activist life – the Emmaus Community, Jonathan who has been a constant helper and companion. It seems there are relaxed rules about visiting the hospital’s Palliative Care wing. When asked if we were family I explained that Alice has a huge family of admirers and followers… All are welcome. You might want to call ahead – The phone number for Memorial is (707) 525-5300 and once the automated voice begins just dial 0 to get the human operator and ask for the nursing station for Alice in Room 320. 

As this chapter in her life nears its conclusion, we have the opportunity to touch her forehead, hold her hand and anoint her, as I did, and whisper prayers of thanksgiving, talk, laugh and make wishes for Alice on her journey. It may also be a time to sing, read some poetry, scripture or something else you choose. I read these three poems to her.

When death comes

like the hungry bear in autumn;

when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;

when death comes

like the measle-pox

when death comes

like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:

what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything

as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,

and I look upon time as no more than an idea,

and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common

as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,

tending, as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something

precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say all my life

I was a bride married to amazement.

I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder

if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

From Mary Oliver

by John O'Donohue

Though we need to weep your loss,

You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,

Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn

Brightening over our lives

Awakening beneath the dark

A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice

Found for us

A new music

That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze

Quickened in the joy of its being;

You placed smiles like flowers

On the altar of the heart.

Your mind always sparkled

With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,

Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer

From the old distance of our names;

Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,

As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,

We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,

Smiling back at us from within everything

To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,

Where we would grow lonely without you.

You would want us to find you in presence,

Beside us when beauty brightens,

When kindness glows

And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,

Darkest winter has turned to spring;

May this dark grief flower with hope

In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.

To serve the call of courage and love

Until we see your beautiful face again

In that land where there is no more separation,

Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,

And where we will never lose you again.

From John O'Donohue

And from ee Cummings:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)