It’s hard when a teacher retires, a minster moves on, or any beloved advisor is no longer available to us. But they have their own paths they must follow. It’s natural to be sad, but it’s also good to accept changes and move forward. Children sometimes catch on quickly and show us the way.
We recently experienced the emergence of the 17-year cicadas. They have left us now but will come again in 17 years. Their egg-laying has affected the trees, leaving orange or brown leaves. But the trees (at least the mature ones) will not be permanently damaged. The annual cicadas have now returned, but not in such numbers and without the intense humming. They will not affect the trees. Handel’s aria “Ombra mia fu” celebrates a beautiful tree.
My earliest memories of my father, Charles Dolby, are of him building things. He expanded the house I grew up in and built a lake cottage that we spent time in every summer. He was a city fireman, which meant rushing into burning buildings, and he once broke his foot in the line of duty. He had a kind of quite courage that showed itself most clearly toward the end of his life—when he was forced to endure the debilitating effects of a stroke. As I’ve gotten older, I have appreciated how hard that was on him. Just to stay alive was an act of courage. Thanks, Dad.