Sent: Saturday, April 1, 2017 8:08 PM
Hello All,
Today, I and my family held a private praying service for John at the Hoa Nghiem Buddhist Temple in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. This is the 7th and the last of the seven intervals since John’s death. At the conclusion of the service, the monk pulled the content of an envelope with ancient Vietnamese writings on it and put it on my head. Then he read the content of the envelope which is a document that includes John’s vital statistics as a report to “accompany” his soul in the other world. Then he put the document back in the envelope and placed it next to John’s photo (in captain uniform) on the altar. We then retrieved the envelope and burned it.
To honor the camaraderie that John had at West Point, I chose the permanent location of John’s photo on the wall of the praying hall to be “E-2.” This is the wall on the right of the Buddha’s altar (looking in).
Tomorrow, Sunday, April 2, 2017 is exactly 50 days since John passed. The last 49 days in my life seemed very long; nights were longer.
I find solace in Buddha’s teachings and in the Wisdom of the Savants through the Ages. I take the liberty to share them with you here. I am trying to practice the principles and not yet good at it. After 40 years of sharing a life with someone, it’s difficult to break the habit! John is on my mind and in my heart every moment consciously or not.
As mentioned to you previously, we are planning for a get together at our home on May 21st, 2017 to commemorate John on the 100th day of his passing. It’s an informal gathering amongst family, friends, and neighbors. There will be good food and beverage so please come hungry! We are planning the occasion from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Please respond by returning e-mail to me if you plan on coming.
Thank you again for your support, actions, and kind words. I and my family are eternally grateful to you.
Kim McClellan
Jkmc50@hotmail.com
Cell: 202-288-7177
20801 Apollo Lane
Gaithersburg, MD 20882
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