Memorial Account

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Morning of Sept 3, 2009

catching my breath in California, going to see the ocean today!

What a weekend...

Sunday was an incredibly full day for everyone, beginning with the sunrise ceremony led by Lenise Fontenot and Bruce Simon Blake. They spoke David's wishes for the 40 day party, request for us to come together in meditation and specific people he wished would speak. One was from Royal Henderson, Lenise's 15 yr old son whom knew David since he was 5 and living across the street in Haines Alaska. David also had requested for Ginny Jordan to speak, his long time sister friend from Boulder. Ginny shared a gorgeous blessing with us that morning, guiding us thru invocations for the 7 directions, saving her "talk" for the afternoon ceremony in which she had us all in rapture with a description of David as a mandala.... describing the details we all know and love about the "artist", "researcher", "lover", archetypal "father" to so many children, creative "bard".... we of course learned things we didnt know too.

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

In this morning circle, Bruce invited each person to speak a few brief words of what David's contributions in our lives taught us/ brought us. As we made our way around the circle a broad range of David's full scope was called in, acknowledged and appreciated. It was tender, funny, loving and of course heartbreaking at times. My own experience was of so much gratitude for the opportunity each person had to see David thru other people's eyes. It was full but moved along quickly too, which was great as many were cold at this point. We had already done some toning and sat for meditation. From here we were guided down to the soft friendly river where our backs and faces warmed in the first sun and we shared in singing Halleluiah. From here we were welcomed to enjoy a feast of Alaskan salmon Lenise's husband Mark caught and smoked and Bruce drove all the way down on ice.

We regrouped our circle by the river in Toulumne Meadows later in the afternoon. As people gathered, Sadhana Brent, Lisa van de Water and Cara Cruikshank held space with the beat of the large cottonwood drum and prayer bowls as Rory Finney smudged each arrival with sage. The Boulder sangha: Linda Weber, Martha Fisher, Sue Allman, Talia Spencer and Laurie Adato opened our circle chanting one of my favorite versions of Om Namah Shivaya.

Photo: sent by Linda Weber

Dani Antman and I welcomed everyone and then she guided us into ceremony space in the lovely celebrant/ minister way she is so experienced in. Community elders Onnolee Stevens, Paul and Carol Hwoschinsky further welcomed and blessed the opening of the ceremony with their kind words and presence. One of their contributions included a small ceremony blessing the youngest person present, Quinn Joyce, with water to his forehead.

I welcomed Devin Hormann-Rivard to speak, sharing that Id come across a very young photo of him the prior week, confirming that he's known David since age 5 (now in his 20s), and he recently moved to Silverton to be serve and be taught by David. Devin shared his take on creative expression as a form of sadhana as he introduced the next person, artist and dancer Meg Hunt. He held lovely space, stepping into the center of the circle and modeling with gesture as much as speaking with words a relationship to the earth, to creation itself as he described the mandala found in a pinecone and the artistry of the nature around us. He introduced Meg, 25 year life partner to Ed La Chapelle, David's father. She brought his words to life offering a dance led by the song of the wind, the authenticity of her movement as prayer, and her love for David. All eyes followed the movement of her expression and the grace of her shear red shawl as the wind stirred and swirled our celebrations with the other visitors in the park.

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Jan Birchfield, Dillon Runyon, Kelly Tisdel & Rory Finney brought forth a Lakota chant, a particularly important one in Jan's work with David, refining her native connection over the years.

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

I introduced the next person to share by taking people back... before Ashland, Princeton, Boulder or Alaska, before India, John Fire Lame Deer, before the Zohar or the I Ching... back when David, then "Randy", was a young student at the University of Washington, learning about Shakespeare in an English class... he met Amy Stevenson. They married in 1975, learned together, traveled and grew as young people in the world before he left for India, which changed the relationship forever. Amy spoke honestly over strong winds, to our large circle of people she'd never met, about her time with the man we all share. I found her talk so courageous and brave, as she spoke of the letters David wrote her from India, of his search for deeper understanding and early introduction to the dance of heart and mind and consciousness. Amy gifted us further by providing hard copy booklets she typed up and edited of the India letters from David. (She asked people to donate $5 per booklet. More available: ananda@jeffnet.org).

Kyle Tisdel, who created the umya.com website for David and lived with us last fall, serving David closely much of the winter, also recently transplanted to Silverton spoke of "appointments"... the co-arising links of destiny David has often spoken of. Kyle's own appointment with David as his teacher and Amma-chi, beloved Mother, were life changing and he shared his heart as he introduced Ginny Jordan; her particular affect on David, his love for their talks, the unique appointment their lives cocreated 25 years ago when they met.

Ginny's talk was dear and familiar, honest and reverent of the fullness of David's being... touching and captivating.

With folks holding attention over an hour in the heat of the day, I skipped ahead letting the remaining cememonial pieces go. Julie Pigott was to share Ocean of Mercy and was "merciful" enough to agree to share this gift before dinner that evening instead.

Dani, Amy Gup and Eryn Rachel Kalish then blessed us all with a Hebrew prayer and Dani led us in an exercise regarding David's "seeing" of each of us.... to remember and write on our name tags one of the reflections David gave each of us during the time one knew him. From there we completed the ceremony and I led us into a closing spiral. In this exercise each person has the chance to look into the eyes of every other person present... a line passing in front of another line, all connected in a circle. Though I have taken dozens of groups thru this experience, this time, perhaps it is the nature of our ability to truly "see" each other or the depth of connections, from all the years of cross-pollinating between different regional sanghas, this spiral went the longest in my memory ever. The other factor, Im calling it the important missing ingredient, is that as I led the head around, I needed to have joined the hand of the second person in the line next to me.. so that as I go from person to person, the line is moved along behind me. I wasnt holding hands, not wanting folks to feel pushed into anything too mushy, and so the "seeing" went well into an hour long. As the experience continued for those connecting, the others went for a cool dip in the river and shared snacks. Many said this was one of their favorite pieces, enjoying a chance to be with each person deeply. Others, of course, found their way out when they were done.

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Linda Weber

Photo: Linda Weber

As the day progressed we made our way out of the park, down the mountain to the town of Lee Vining where a yummy dinner was held in the local community center. People got the chance to connect in smaller groups at their tables over dinner and several people introduced their "give away" items they had brought to share with everyone. Julie led Ocean of Mercy with so much love and Andrea Luchese offered a hula specifically for the "ohana" the community/family principle, for the aloha of our gathering... lovely. We heard shares from a few people who would not be present for the next day's talking circle and a tender song by Sweet Honey and the Rock offered by Mariah Howard we listened to in one enormous circle of 60 people. Meg turned on the tunes and tables were cleared for some "boogie". Maybe if we werent so tired from such a long day, people would have been more keen on dancing, but as it was we were doing our best to say goodbyes to people leaving in the morning and connecting to people we hadnt yet had the chance to talk to.

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Ananda Elise Foley

Photo: Linda Weber

Photo: Linda Weber

Also, my mom and I had set up a mini card factory in Silverton before we came so people could take home affordable David art from the memorial. Other treasures were offered at the card table, including a teaser cover for the upcoming re-publication of the I Ching book, a DVD of a movie in Alaska David made years ago offered to everyone by Ron Rivard, a CD of Canyon Land recordings from the 80s offered by Thea Davis, Ocean of Mercy CDs offered by Julie, I Ching posters and Amy's Letters from India booklets. There was much activity over at the card table as people were especially tickled to see the latest pencil drawings in card form, looking so good. This service is something my mom and I are excited to continue to provide as it will (hopefully) help to provide me a living and allow me to live in Silverton.

This was a HUGE day, and we knew there was a morning circle on the horizon so we called it a night.

... to be continued...