Happy Birthday

Today is Andy's birthday. I woke up this morning thinking about the Lao medical dictionary I am working on with the monks from Wat Buddhabhavana. Disty is making a feast tonight for Chip, who is fasting today, and me and my mother, Selma, and my brother and sister-in law, Larry and Carol. I will spend most of the day reorganizing the library room where Andy is. We did some work on the west side of the house, and I needed to paint the windows and walls. That is now done, and I can put everything back into place. It will be peaceful spending time puttering around with his spirit swirling in my head. I guess that is surprising to me—how often I want to be immersed in the reality of his death, which means, mostly, in the end, celebrating his life.

I think I figured out how I am going to present the Lao medical dictionary online and in print. I built a mysql database for sukhapaab.org this morning, and I am now thinking about the sturcture of the tables and fields. What I am hoping is that it will be useful for Lao people. When I have a test of the dictionary, I will put a link to it here. I am hoping that will be in the next week.

Yesterday, I went to the Wat at 10 am for a meeting to discuss future plans for a senior/youth center for the Lao community. Ajahn Mangkone invited Disty and me to join the group. The Wat has been a place of great connectedness for me: learning Lao, giving service to the Lao community, and encouraging calm and happiness. Ajahn is an advanced soul; I will do anything Ajahn asks.

At this meeting, there was a long discussion of death and dying and how Lao people were much more in touch with the process, about the open cremation and how relatives would pick up the bones and personal articles, such as rings and jewelry, of the deceased with long chopsticks. I couldn't help thinking about Andy, as I saw him last, touching his hair and hoping he would be safe on his journey.