A New (Old) Proposition (October 27, 2008)

No, this is not about the election; we've all read enough about the November 4 decisions to last us through the rest of this month.

I have made a proposition to the kids in this family, however, regarding Eileen's "one-year update" message sent over the past weekend. She has asked for help; and it's so very hard to offer anything physically possible, from the great distance across the Big Pond to where she lives in London. I had been mulling over an idea in my mind for a while, and when I saw that Leenie had opened up so vulnerably to all of us about her needs, I decided to put my plan into motion.

I resolved that I would set aside a time each morning, at 9 AM Pacific time, to pray and meditate about the illness and to ask for the mercy of a cure or solution for Leenie. I suggested to the others in the family that we might each "meet in the air" at the same time (in our own time zones) and do this together – to send up a nice loud cry to God in unison. I explained that it had occured to me that this is not a New Age "cosmic convergence" thing, so much as an ancient tradition honored by just about every faith, to set aside specific times for prayer (The Daily Hours of monastic practice, the muezzin's call at appointed times for prayer, etc.)

So this morning, i began my own effort at 9 AM; and I hope that at least some of the other kids have done so, or will later join me in this practice. I don't think we're playing games with God or creating some spiritual climate shift – I only want to try to do something to alleviate Leenie's sometimes lonely struggles with exhaustion, pain, and a host of ugly symptoms that the medical profession is at a loss to alleviate for her.

Later, as I get more feedback from the kids, I'll ask them to let her (or me) know what they are doing, to give her an image to fix in her mind and heart, of her siblings and relatives/friends surrounding her with love. That knowledge alone can be the greatest comfort when you are struggling.

One thing I know about this family: in times of crisis, we do rally around the one in need; Leenie has always been at the forefront of any such efforts, and the others all do what they can in their own individual ways. I expect and hope that it will be true this time too.

(If any of you who are not "the kids" are reading this and want to join in this plan with us, please do; and if you will let me know, I'll add you to any updates I may send out.