Crossroads Conversations: End of Life Hopes, Fears, & Curiosities
Next month I have three opportunities for you to join me in conversation about end-of-life. Why would you do that, you ask? Talking about death normalizes it—which is funny because there is nothing more normal—and reduces fear. It’s a simple concept: gather in a safe space to talk about a taboo subject that affects 100% of the population. Plus, it’s free! Learn more at the following links. (Note that Queermunity and Quatrefoil Library are 2SLGBTQ+ spaces, but all are welcome.)
Wednesday, July 9, 6:00-7:30pm at Queermunity in Minneapolis
Saturday, July 12, 2:30-4:00pm at Quatrefoil Library in Minneapolis
Wednesday, July 23, 6:00-7:30pm at Starcell Studio in Bloomington
See further below for a related workshop offered by another provider.
Sacred Space: A Spiritual Journey Community
Meet in community for deep sharing and deep listening—regardless of how you define your spiritual journey—and see what blossoms forth from it. Learn more and register here. There is still space available this weekend!
Saturdays, 1:30-3:00pm at Starcell Studio in Bloomington
June 21 / July 19 / August 16
Ancestors Never Sleep
Some of you also subscribe to my poetry newsletter. When I wrote about this Alice Walker poem, I realized that I moved more into commentary about spiritual connection to ancestors than about poetry, so I am sharing it here first. (Click the link below to read the poem.)
Ancestors Never Sleep, by Alice Walker
I have been curious about ancestors for a year or more, but before that I was not interested. When I heard or read someone refer to ancestors as spiritual guides and such, I shrugged it off because I couldn’t relate. I’ve never felt connected to my primarily Austrian and German great-great-grandparents who immigrated to the United States in the second half of the 19th century, or their lineages. In fact, as a gay man, I considered my ancestors to be all the queer people who came before me.
More recently, I’ve come to two conclusions. One, I can appreciate my genealogical ancestors even if I have to make some assumptions and embellishments. They all did the best they could, and they were likely striving for something better for their descendants. They were courageous, hard-working, and endured hardship as well as the unearned privileges of being white in the United States. One of my grandfathers was known for his generosity and the other for his quiet dedication and service to others. All of my ancestors were flawed humans immersed in particular cultures that conditioned certain beliefs which they either absorbed without awareness or at some point questioned. I will never know, and any research would yield little of their deepest values and convictions. But more relevant to my spiritual journey now, whoever among them might be around me is in a state of greater enlightenment than I am, so I say welcome and thank you.
Secondly, I feel more affirmed—through some of my reading and folks that I follow—in my belief that ancestors are much more than familial. In the infinite swirl of the cosmos, I assume I have been connected over time to any number of beings who manifested as humans on this planet, so that even the idea of queer ancestors is much too limiting. Any historical figure that we look to as a hero or role model, and maybe even feel some inexplicable connection to, can be an ancestor. Considering them as such is empowering; it means we have within us what we most admire in them. So if Harriet Tubman, for example, is for me the absolute archetype of courage, I can look to her not simply as an heroic historical figure, but as an ancestor who came to show all of us how to bravely work for our own liberation and that of others.
I am aware that some folks maight say I am engaging in a form of spiritual bypassing and/or cultural appropriation, and I would be willing to engage in that dialogue. Ultimately, however, I believe in the unitive principle, that all life energy is connected and that liberation is achieved by expanding our egoic concept of self to include all beings and even the Divine. And I also believe in integrity—it matters less that I am a white cis-gendered male with an eclectic spirituality who now keeps a photo of Harriet Tubman on his puja altar and more what is in my heart and how I am striving to be in the world.
However you conceive of and relate to ancestors and however that fits into your spiritual belief system, there is much to appreciate about this poem—its invitation to awareness of the long-term beyond this lifetime, to not taking ourselves too seriously, to trusting in unseen forces that sustain us. For more poetry, subscribe to Poem of the Day. For more discussion about ancestors, bring the topic to Sacred Space (see above). And even in these tumultuous times, remember to take time to relax—because ancestors of all sorts are watching over us. We can…
“Save despair,
Our beloved
Sweetcakes,
For a couple of eons
Later.”
Advanced Care Planning Workshop
Thursday, July 24, 1:00-3:00pm
The Marsh in Minnetonka
Offered by The Bardo (I am NOT part of this workshop.)
$75
Learn more here.
Please reach out to me to inquire about my work as a Spiritual Mentor—in addition to Sacred Space groups, I also offer one-on-one support to individuals—or as a Death Midwife supporting end of life care and transition. I can also speak to your group or organization about end of life topics. You can reply to this email, email me directly at michael.presentpurpose@gmail.com, or call or text me at 952-201-7461.
May the long-time sun shine upon you,
all love surround you,
and the pure light within you
guide your way home.
Love,
Michael
