We will miss you, Chiquita…
Dear Friends Of Peace,
I am writing this newsletter riding in a car with Charlie (Mertens) from Salida to La Veta, CO, still buzzing from the high from playing at the Salida Café last night. We are on a little tour with the Peace Project Quartet through southern Colorado and it’s been a fantastic trip so far.
I was onstage last night with Jesse, Brett and Charlie and halfway through the first set, I looked over and saw the smiling and beaming faces of some of my dearest friends and I became overwhelmed by a giant wave of joy-gratitude. What a beautiful life I have! I closed my eyes as Jesse delivered a breath-taking vocal taqsim (solo) in Float and said a prayer; I prayed to the Divine Mother to allow me the abundance to keep doing this, to keep spreading joy and love through the music of the Peace Project with my beloved friends until I take my last breath.
A week earlier, I was in Atlanta to attend the memorial service of Chiquita Berry, the mother of my ex-wife. Chiquita passed away peacefully in the early morning hours on April 19 2010, after having lived a full life of 74 years where she passionately and tirelessly served the community through the Twelve Stone Farm in Talking Rock, GA in the last twenty. She’s been a mentor and a great source of wisdom and inspiration since I met her 8 years ago.400 people attended the memorial despite the stormy weather, and those who came up to share stories about Chiquita, all spoke of how their lives had been touched and transformed by her big-hearted love and generosity and acceptance of all beings.
We all cried and laughed and watched the sky did the same…
We miss you, Chiquita…
Filled with the poignancy and nostalgia of Chiquita’s unexpected passing and experiencing intimately how I have been able to make a difference in people’s lives through my own music and my reaching out to those around me, the last two weeks had been incredibly heart and soul-nourishing. I am now reading Chiquita’s copy of Andrew Harvey’s The Hope and every word that I have been reading strikes a deep chord in me and further reinforces my belief in what we can do to help the world be a better place if we allow ourselves to open up and reach out to our fellow humans and all living beings with all our love and compassion.
You descended upon the Appalachian hills
Like a shooting star
Setting everything ablaze
With your fire
Of love
Passion
And Compassion
You burn and burn
Through countless
Springs
Summers
Winters
And autumns
Through droughts
And floods
Through many births
And deaths
The spirits in the foothills
All come to life
From your sparks and your flames
What’s four-legged or two
What’s winged or spotted
What purrs and chirps and neighs
All glow
Like fireflies
Lighting the way for weary travelers in the deep of the night
So we can see our hearts
As we stumble and trip through the frosty winter nights
