230913 What I learned in my studies this morning 3

No poem today.
Check back again tomorrow.
Thanks. See you later.

Today's Meditation(s):

Thoughts:

Today is a day to think about death.  I do this regularly, but today, it's not my death I'm thinking about.

My father is ill. (He may rally and be good for months to come — it's happened before — but he's slowly been getting worse over the past several weeks.)

So I think about things in stages. Practical considerations first. Funeral arrangements, communication with family, preparing a eulogy, etc. Luckily, save for the final item, my parents are unusually organized and prepared for such things.

Then, emotional effects.  Comforting and helping my mom if she loses the love of her life for the past almost 60 years. Working through my own feelings. Helping my kids cope with the loss of their grandfather. Etc.

For my part, I've thought about not only my death, but the death of my loved ones, including my dad. Mostly, I've considered what I'll need to do to help others. I've spent precious little time examining how my own emotions will come into play. Call that fear on my part, lack of will to get up close and personal with my feelings.