From the Bottom of the Bucket

          Good Bye Mama Rama

In previous columns, I have talked about Roles and how they shape our lives.  I want to expand a bit on that concept and introduce a new dimension.  In their book, “ Claiming  your place at the fire”, Richard Leider and David Shapiro introduce the concept of Elders.  These are people of experience that choose the “teacher” approach to their Roles.  Based on the tribal concepts of Rituals, they pass on the culture of the community through ceremonies that have life lessons embedded in them.

When I married my wife, thirty six years ago, I became part of her family.  The Elders of that family, were Mary and Mack Rama.   Mack passed away several years ago and Mary, his widow, left us three short months ago.  Both elected to be cremated and Mack’s ashes have resided with us awaiting the reunion with his wife.

My wife and I now find ourselves rotating to the Elder level in many of our Roles.   With that in mind, we called a family reunion for the purpose of reuniting Mary and Mac and allowing each family member to participate in the Ritual of “returning dust to dust.” We chose a lake that had been a favorite spot for the two of them and built the weekend around the Native American Ritual of the Fire Circle.

 

Most of the younger members are in their early twenties and are still learning their tribal Roles, but I am sure that the mystical occurrences did much to awaken a sense of awe.  First, there was a pair of bald eagles that were with us all weekend.  Then the shifting winds played music through the pines that covered our camp.   There also was the double rainbow that appeared after a brief shower.  Random coincidences or signs from beyond?  Each person was allowed the time to consider their opinion.

 

Both Mary and Mack (which my wife named the eagles) came from humble beginnings, he from an orphanage and she from a dairy farm.  Yet, without any head starts, they grew into local legends for their willingness to help others and teach values to their tribe. Both funerals were well attended, a testimony to the Elder legacy they left.  The grandkids (I call Gen2) ran the ceremony and it was inspirational to say the least.

 

People’s behavior speaks volumes about their values and how one prioritizes his or her activities is a real time demonstration of their character.   We are in critical need of example setters for our younger tribal members.  This work will take time and effort on The Elder’s part and some attention on the youth’s end, but it should prove worthwhile to both parties.

When you are younger, your Legacy seems like an abstract.  But in reality, you are already working on your reputation, which in the end, will be one of your most treasured and lasting assets.  Make each day count, stay in integrity and look for opportunities to tutor.

 

Until next month, I wish you fulfillment.

 

Bob