Farwood's Blackberry Patch

I spent most of my childhood on a small farm. In addition to general livestock (cows, horses, goats, pigs, chickens, and sheep) we bred and sold dogs. There was a litter of Labrador Retrievers born when I was 15 and after a week or so my mom noticed that one of the pups had only one eye. She asked me if I would like to have the puppy.

There were always a ton of animals around and many of them had been "mine" but of the few that might have been considered pets, I never really had much say in what happened to them. This little puppy was my first true pet and I loved her fiercely.

She went to college with me for a year but it was not an easy thing for either of us. I couldn't afford the rent it costs to be in a god friendly house off campus and she was in the house most of the time which is torture for a farm dog. I asked my mom to keep her for the summer so I could arrange a better situation, that turned into 5 years. I have only seen her a few times since then and that kills me; I missed her constantly.

Earlier this month she got sick and mom took her to the vet clinic where she works part time. After some tests they found that her heart was beating too fast - about 3x the average rate. Medication slowed it for a while but she still couldn't regulate the beating on her own. We were afraid we would have to make the decision to euthanize her.

On the 15th of July at 3am her heart stopped. She had decided for us. There was no wining or whimpering, no gasping for breath, no suffering. There was just peace. She just closed her eye and let go.

There was nothing fantastically remarkable about Patch; she was a dog like any other. But those who have shared their lives with dogs (or cats) know that even the most common and mundane of them are inconceivably magical and being with them makes you a better person than you would have ever been without them. We come to know animals in a way that we never know those of our own species. They offer the purest kind of love and expect less than nothing in return. They can't be anything but honest, apologetically and endlessly honest.

If you have never had a dog or a cat I encourage you to consider it. Spend time with someone who does and feel it out. It's not an effortless situation by any means; pets require an enormous commitment and will consume much of your time, energy, and money, but what you get in return is worth infinitely more.

This is not Patch, but this person clearly feels the same about her dog as I do.

In the fall, we're planting a blackberry bush at my mom's house to remember Patch. That's what we do when something dies, we plant something for them. I imagine us in the future making fresh summer ice cream with those berries, from Patch's bush. I would love to share that with my children the way my mom and grandma did with me so many times when I was a child.

I want to thank my mom for taking such amazing care of Patch when I wasn't able to give her the life she deserved. I never worried about her for a minute because I knew she was in the best hands I could imagine. And my Patch, She taught me so much about myself and about the world around me. I am truly a better person for having known her. She'll be the mother to every other dog I have. I'll remember her for the rest of my life.

Oh Snap!

Wedding Ceremony

I was recently asked to write the ceremony script for my parents - mother and step father- wedding. It was one of the most profound tasks ever asked of me and I was overjoyed. I did forget to put in the kissing part but they took care of that. ;)

We've gathered here today to honor the commitment Susan and Mark first made to one another nearly 21 years ago. That covenant grows deeper today as they are joined together as husband and wife.

Marriage is an honorable estate that exists to embody, nurture and protect the delicate and precious balance between companionship and individuality. Marriage symbolizes the ultimate allegiance between two people. It is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but humbly and soberly, with certainty, with mutual respect, and with a sense of adoration.

To love and to be loved is the most profound blessing any of us can hope to experience. At its best, love calls forth the purest qualities in each of us. It brings us closer to the illumination of Truth and shelters us from the darkness that exists our world. Mark and Susan have been unwavering in their love for one another through both sunny and stormy days. They stand before you now and formally bind themselves together in love for the rest of their days.

Minister to Mark:
Do you, Mark, take Susan as your wife, from this time onward, promising to tenderly care for her, to respect and cherish her as she is, to inspire and to empower, to join with her and share all that is to come, and remain loyal to her with all your being?
Mark: “I do.”

Minister to Susan:
Do you, Susan, take Mark to be your husband, your friend and companion, promising to remain loving and loyal, to advise and to listen, to share all life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, being honest and true forevermore?
Susan: “I do.”

Please exchange rings. As a ring has no end, neither shall your love for one another. Wear them proudly and remember this joyous day and the vows you have made.

As you Susan, and you Mark have consented together in wedlock, and have pledged yourselves each to the other in the presence of GOD and of this company, it is my great privilege to pronounce you husband and wife. Let all others honor your union and the threshold of your home.

May all blessings attend you,
May joy pervade your lives together,
May your home be forever a place of peace and true fulfillment.

They were married on the 4th of July. Congratulations! I love you both.