Icewind's Ramblings

I have lost several loved ones over the last several months, and had the privilege of officiating the funerals for my aunt and uncle, so the concepts of death and life have been weighing heavily on my mind.  All were men and women of great integrity, humility, and character, who exhibited the work ethic made famous by that “Greatest Generation”.  They all loved their families and were active in their churches.  In working to create an overarching narrative that encapsulates each person’s life, I began to wrestle with these questions: How do you measure a life?  What is the measure of a life well-lived? In grappling with these questions, in light of the men and women who served as heroes and role models for me, I came to this conclusion: The measure of a man is not marked by the wealth he acquires, the possessions he accumulates, or the positions he attains.  Indeed, these are very faulty measures, measures that, in the end, leave only brokenness, ruin and regret. No,

This morning I awoke to brisk temperatures in the upper thirties with a sky that had high clouds that were going through the ever changing color palette seen most mornings if one chooses to awake to experience it.  The changes from darkness to light have always been a major part of my day as it sets the tone for what is to come.  The gradual tones from dark to gray looking through the trees or the faint glow of light on the seashore as first light takes hold of the night and forces it away can be both awe inspiring and mood setting if one chooses to participate in this daily ritual.  Even cloudy, rainy, or snowy mornings can have an impact to attitudes if one is in tune or conscious of this phenomenon. The few high clouds changing from the gray to a soft pink then to a fiery red hue at the blueness of the morning sky took hold let me know it would be an interesting day for me and Placido Flamingo.  Today we would be on the road traveling to see my mama who became ill last we