Let the Sacred Festivities Begin
Christina Baldwin was the “sacred emcee” at Kelly Lindsay’s celebration of life. What follows is her introduction, which makes more sense if you kept up with Kelly’s CaringBridge blog. Christina and Ann Linnea are founders of The Circle Way and “godmothers” of Healing Circles.
Welcome to this celebration of life. We are here because—our beloved Kelly Lindsay died. Kelly passed away. Kelly departed. Kelly crossed the Great Divide. Kelly gave up the ghost. Kelly went to Glory. Kelly entered the Bardo. Kelly ferried the Black River. AND—Kelly bought The Farmhouse!
There are dozens of ways we speak of dying and death because we don’t actually know what happens. We watch our beloveds struggle: they have breath, they have heartbeat… and then they don’t—the essence of life and consciousness, what makes us/us, what made Kelly/Kelly leaves. The attachment that was life detaches and we are in the presence of death. Kelly Lindsay, whom we have always known as one glorious being separated into two forms of glorious being: body and spirit. His body is now resting in the dirt of his home island. His spirit…well, we don’t actually know. We surmise— because Death remains Life’s greatest mystery.
What I KNOW is this: Kelly is in good hands. Unlike many who die, we actually know the names and faces of some who hold him now: Kiki, Glio, Teodara, Elena, Timor, Mott’nTrott, Angel, Small Ghost. “All essence, no physical aspect,” Kelly explained about his Farmhouse friends. Now, he, too, has become all essence, no physical aspect.
What I KNOW is this: Diana—you are in good hands. Camilla, Isaac, Thea, Jasper; Eric, Kylie, Aidan, Eli, Lena; Tom, Targe, Nancy, Nana Jo… you are in good hands. Beloved family of Kelly and Diana’s—beloved friends and community we are all in good hands. We are in one another’s hands and we are holding hands.
And so we pledge our hands to hold on, to hold out, to give and receive. We pledge to continue to support family, to make community, to mark the mysteries of life and death with celebration. We are here together in this moment to give up Kelly’s ghost in heartfelt word and song. Let the sacred festivities begin! MWAAAH
