On Saturday May 3rd, 2008 the Yurt at Miriam’s Well was filled to capacity by a Memorial Gathering in honor of John O’Donohue, our friend, collaborator, advisor and teacher who died unexpectedly this past January.
It was a rainy Irish kind of a day. We broke bread together and had lunch before we all assembled in the Miriam’s Well Yurt, a sacred place that has been the container for magnificent work these past four years. We listened to music, heard John’s full and powerful voice, shared our experiences and stories of him, laughed, cried, and knew we were in the company of like-minded souls who loved this man deeply.
Theresa K. Clark-Roberts volunteered to landscape the "Poet’s Walk" on the Miriam’s Well property. As she worked, she heard the call of John and dwelt in an organic presence with his spirit and the land. During the Memorial Gathering she led a silent walk around the grounds, where we dedicated a plaque bearing the last stanza of John's blessing, "Beannacht":
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.
We then returned to the Yurt and dedicated it to his memory, ending by toasting his great life with a shot of Jameson Irish whiskey! Irish music played as we all hugged and felt so thankful to be together.
It was a loving tribute to this blessed man. May we continue to feel his glowing presence for the rest of our days.
There are many more marvelous experiences coming up at Miriam's Well this year. See our Calendar of Events for details.
We lovingly invite you to come and partake of the delights at Miriam's Well, and to experience the beautiful changes that have been so mindfully created in our grounds.
With love and blessings,
Susan Rosen
Founder and Spiritual Director
