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Angeles Arrien, a very special person in many people’s lives, mine included, passed away unexpectedly on April 24, 2014.  Angeles wrote a number of wonderful, insightful books, including The Second Half of Life, Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom and The Four Fold Way, The Path of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary.

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Jampa, a friend of mine who is a Buddhist monk (Reflections from a Friend),  wrote some words of encouragement to me, soon after Angeles had died.  I’m sharing these words and ideas because I thought some of them might be helpful to others who might also be adjusting to the loss of special people in their own lives.

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Angeles also lead wonderful, intensive workshops, 2 of which I had taken in October, and another “in depth” workshop that I was continuing to participate in throughout this entire year, helping people to integrate her wonderful, useful, wisdom ideas from her  life work into to our everyday lives.

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The truly beautiful, vertical garden,
on the outside wall of Angeles’ teaching space in Sausalito

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Oddly enough, my own mother who is 95 years old,  and her 97 year old sister Okie ( from 97 Years Old and Still Writing) have also had pneumonia this past month. Okie is recovering and regaining strength, but my mother is not doing well… so these words of wisdom and encouragement from Jampa are doubly appreciated.  Perhaps the ideas will be helpful or inspiring to others, too.

(Note: August, 2014…both my Aunt Okie and my mother recovered from pneumonia and are doing fine now.)

Excerpts from that helpful “advice” from Ven. Jampa

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“Celebrate life through how I live my own life…….”

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Celebrate life….
oh what a beautiful morning!
oh what a beautiful day!

Celebrate life…

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
Rogers and Hammerstein

There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,
An’ it looks like its climbin’ clear up to the sky.

Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I’ve got a wonderful feeling,
Everything’s going my way.

All the sounds of the earth are like music,
All the sounds of the earth are like music,
The breeze is so busy it don’t miss a tree,
And an ol’ Weepin’ Willer is laughin’ at me.

Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I’ve got a wonderful feeling,
Everything’s going my way.

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Celebrating life….