Clues in the Bathroom
When I was in 2nd grade Pat (a high school freshman) called me into the bathroom to show me something. He had a pencil and paper waiting for me in front of the mirror. He wanted me to draw a square and a triangle...but there was a trick: I had to watch my hands in the mirror as he blocked me from seeing my own hands. Of course the eye betrays the hand in such a setup and I drew awkward zig-zags instead. Pat laughed like a loon the moment I strayed off course. I tried not to smile but couldn't help it. He was my eldest brother and he was giving me attention. From my view he was the coolest guy around. I was learning to see the world through his eyes, and he was giving me one more
opportunity to study him. On a simple level I was learning that experiments or science can be fun. On a much deeper level was the kernel of what so much of Pat was. He was saying that play and wonder are fun. Through wonder is play and through play we find answers. If I merge that wonder with love it becomes targeted. It becomes compassion. -The Einsteinien gift that allows some people on this earth to make the world a better and more fun place at the same time. I have been thinking a lot about the sciences since Pat's passing. Pat was the scientist who pursued his profession with the love of an artist. He bridged the gap to make science or medicine friendly to his patients. Those who see love, ethics and life's complexities as all interconnected are the ones who are motivated to find cures.
When those we love die, a way to honor them is to nurture what we loved about them in our hearts. We become more like them this way. Even more-so than when they breathed on this earth. It's not because we did not appreciate them in life but rather that in death we can only hold on to the vital thread that matters and lives in our memory. We work and rework, search and search again. I continue to remember Pat's wonder and compassion. I hope if I take anything from this, I will hold wonder a little closer and focus it with my love.
Thank you Pat.
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| Pat heading to prom |
When those we love die, a way to honor them is to nurture what we loved about them in our hearts. We become more like them this way. Even more-so than when they breathed on this earth. It's not because we did not appreciate them in life but rather that in death we can only hold on to the vital thread that matters and lives in our memory. We work and rework, search and search again. I continue to remember Pat's wonder and compassion. I hope if I take anything from this, I will hold wonder a little closer and focus it with my love.
Thank you Pat.
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