Ashes To Ashes; Dust To Dust

Shalom and aloha.

I believe that Science is real; sometimes TOO real. But I’m also comfortable knowing that certain things defy having one clear explanation.  And I also don’t ascribe to many aspects of Mysticism, Spiritualism, New Age thoughts or faith-based parts of traditional religion. But, again, I’m more than willing to accept that there are all kinds of things that we can’t explain with any degree of certainty. I generally embrace what I’ll call the Healthy Skepticism of a Devout Musician.

Having said that, I’d like to relate a recent experience of an unexplained phenomenon: 

After the death of my beloved bride Mariana, her ashes (or, a new word I learned in the process: cremains) made their way to many places. These include Lake Michigan, the oceans Pacific and Atlantic, and under our yard’s yews (a Celtic symbol of death and resurrection, don’t you know). 

BUT….one incredibly obvious place that wasn’t on that list is the tree in the park at the end of our block that now bears a plaque in her memory. I just had never gotten around to it. I was finally compelled to correct that situation when I walked past the the box in the basement where the rest of her ashes resided. It seemed kind of mean that poor Mariana had been banished to such a dreary locale for these several years. 

So I took the box to the tree in the park and dug a tiny trench that would accommodate the rest of the cremains. I then stood there and reflected for a long moment before opening the box to gain access to the plastic bag that held the last of the…..you know.

When I opened the bag, a thick plume of dust immediately leapt out and aggressively shot skyward. It surprised the hell out of me. And it kept doing it for much longer than I thought it possibly could: a continuous and jubilant express towards the place where Mariana thought she should be. It was like she was really glad to get the hell out that bag. So, part of her did just that, and the rest was content (I hope) to help nurture her beautiful tree.

That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. I have no doubt that there are a slew of other explanations, but that’s mine. And perception is reality.